History: FIFA have awarded the World Footballer of the Year title since 1991. The first winner was Lothar Matthäus, who beat Jean-Pierre Papin (France) and Gary Lineker (England) to the title. The women’s award was introduced in 2001. The term Ballon d’Or was adopted in 2010 – since 1956 France Football used the name to honour the European footballer of the year. The Coach of the Year awards were introduced in 2010.
Records: Brazilians have been named World Footballer of the Year eight times: Ronaldo (won the Men’s award three times) and Marta (won the Women’s award five times in a row between 2006 and 2010). Before that Germany’s Birgit Prinz had won it three times in a row.
Argentina’s Lionel Messi has won the Men’s award four times – more than anyone else (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012). Europeans have won the award 10 times, whilst there has been one African winner: George Weah.
The men’s Coach of the Year award has been won by José Mourinho, Pep Guardiola, Vicente del Bosque and Heynckes. Germany coach Silvia Neid has won the women’s award twice (2010, 2013).
The vote: Experts from FIFA and France Football create the original shortlists: 10 players for the Women’s Player of the Year and for the Coach awards for both genders. The men’s Player of the Year award sees 23 players get nominated. International coaches, captains and journalists then pick their favourites. The top three in each award is announced by FIFA. The winner is announced at the Gala in Zurich.
On Monday the speculation comes to an end. The FIFA Ballon d’Or Gala, hosted at the Kongresshaus in Zurich will provide all of the answers. We’ll soon know whether Manuel Neuer will pick up the titular award, whether Nadine Keßler will follow Nadine Angerer and be named the Women’s Player of the Year, whether Löw will be named Men’s Coach of the Year and whether Maren Meinert, who guided Germany U20 to world success, or Wolfsburg’s Ralf Kellermen will be named Women’s Coach of the Year.
Regardless of success, it will be a great occasion for the Germany stars. Germany is the only country to have at least one nominee to make the shortlist in all four categories. Ahead of the ceremony, DFB.de takes a look at the event.
Goalkeeping royalty vs. Clinical Attackers: Manuel Neuer may be a World Champion but will he be the Footballer of the Year? He is shortlisted alongside Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid) and Lionel Messi (FC Barcelona), who have won the last six titles between them. Cristiano Ronaldo won the award in 2008 and 2013 and heads into the event as defending champion. Messi won the award four times in a row between 2009 and 2012. No one has won the award so often: Zinédine Zidane and Ronaldo, the Brazilian striker, won it three times each.
Can Neuer write history: Manuel Neuer would write history if we won the award. The 28-year-old FC Bayern stopper would be the first goalkeeper to be honoured- He would also be the first player active in the Bundesliga to be successful. The award, which was inaugurated in 1991, has only been won by players from the Spanish Primera Division, the English Premier League or Italy’s Serie A. The only German to win the award was record appearance maker Lothar Matthäus, who played for Inter Milan when he picked up the trophy in 1991.
Keßler hoping to follow in Angerer’s footsteps: The UEFA Footballer of the Year is shortlisted alongside Brazil’s Marta and Abby Wambach (USA) for the women’s award. Both have already won the award: Marta in 2010 and Wambach in 2010. Last year’s winner was Nadine Angerer. Nadine Keßler had a successful year, winning the Bundesliga and Champions League with VfL Wolfsburg.
Löw could follow Heynckes: World Cup winning coach Joachim Löw could be named Coach of the Year. He would be the second German winner in a row – Jupp Heynckes picked up the award last time out as a result of FC Bayern’s treble (Bundesliga, DFB Cup and Champions League). Löw’s rivals are Carlo Ancelotti (Champions League winner with Real Madrid) and Diego Simeone (Spanish Champion and Champions League finalist with Athletico Madrid).
All German affair: Women’s Coach of the Year sees two Germans make the shortlist. Maren Meinert led the Germany U20 side to victory in the World Cup in Canada whereas Ralf Kellermann was in charge as VfL Wolfsburg won the Bundesliga and Champions League. Japan’s Norio Sasaki makes up the trio; he won in 2011. The previous winner was Germany head coach Silvia Neid, who also won the award in 2010. A win for Meinert or Kellermann would see a German win for the third time in five years.
Other awards: The Gala will also see the Presidential Award (For services to football), the Puskás Award (For the best goal of the year) as well as the Fair Play Award be given out. Franz Beckenbauer won the Presidential Award in 2012. The Team of the Year (FIFA/FIFPro World XI 2014) will also be revealed. Nine German players are on a 55 strong shortlist for the team: Manuel Neuer, Philipp Lahm, Jerome Boateng, Mats Hummels, Toni Kroos, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Mesut Özil, Marco Reus and Thomas Müller.
History: FIFA have awarded the World Footballer of the Year title since 1991. The first winner was Lothar Matthäus, who beat Jean-Pierre Papin (France) and Gary Lineker (England) to the title. The women’s award was introduced in 2001. The term Ballon d’Or was adopted in 2010 – since 1956 France Football used the name to honour the European footballer of the year. The Coach of the Year awards were introduced in 2010.
Records: Brazilians have been named World Footballer of the Year eight times: Ronaldo (won the Men’s award three times) and Marta (won the Women’s award five times in a row between 2006 and 2010). Before that Germany’s Birgit Prinz had won it three times in a row.
Argentina’s Lionel Messi has won the Men’s award four times – more than anyone else (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012). Europeans have won the award 10 times, whilst there has been one African winner: George Weah.
The men’s Coach of the Year award has been won by José Mourinho, Pep Guardiola, Vicente del Bosque and Heynckes. Germany coach Silvia Neid has won the women’s award twice (2010, 2013).
The vote: Experts from FIFA and France Football create the original shortlists: 10 players for the Women’s Player of the Year and for the Coach awards for both genders. The men’s Player of the Year award sees 23 players get nominated. International coaches, captains and journalists then pick their favourites. The top three in each award is announced by FIFA. The winner is announced at the Gala in Zurich.
