18:23
We’re onto the Puskas award now. Who scored the most beautiful goal? Good to see Son’s goal on the list but I’m more of a Jordan Ayew man …
18:20
Manuel Neuer is the best men’s goalkeeper!
Yes he is. Was it his best year for Bayern? “It’s one of the best years of my career, we are so confident in what we’ve done and especially in the summer it was amazing for all of us and we are very happy,” he Zooms.
18:19
“Frankly speaking Messi and Ronaldo should refuse their nominations in this category,” writes Krishnamoorthy. “They have nothing left to prove and nominations can act as an incentive to other notable players. But ego seems to be default middle name for these players.”
I think that is harsh. They have been consistently brilliant for years. And very good this year too. But I wouldn’t have them as the other two in my top three either.
18:17
(He means Kjetil Knutsen of Bodo/Glimt) This is not wrong at all, either. What an achievement that was. It does feel like a gala for all the good looking kids, this.
18:15
Sarah Bouhaddi is the best women’s goalkeeper!
The Lyon legend takes it! Great recognition for the 34-year-old after such a stellar career at the top.
18:13
Pascal Zuberbuhler, a veteran of Swiss World Cup sides that probably went out at the second round stage on penalties after a goalless draw, is going to help out on stage with the goalkeepers’ award first of all. Maybe present-day regulations mean all the glamorous assistants have to be sourced locally – in which case I’ll request Alain Sutter to reveal the winner of the top gong.
18:10
Rashford wins the Fifa Foundation award – very richly deserved indeed.
18:09
We are hearing, too, from a bona die football Best of 2020 – Marcus Rashford. He’d be in my top three, look what a year we’ve had and look what he’s managed to do on and away from the pitch. Tonight he plays for Manchester United against Sheffield United.
18:07
Now Gianni Infantino, seemingly in front of a green screen, is slightly spectrally addressing us from … somewhere that isn’t Fifa HQ. It looks a little bit like he’s on Knightmare. It’s a noble speech, thanking front-line workers for the efforts during the pandemic that have been so profoundly appreciated by us all, and now averring that football has “restarted again with hopes and smiles for millions of people”.
I wasn’t smiling at Craven Cottage last night but they are fine words. Infantino also offers condolences to the loved ones of Diego Maradona and Paolo Rossi, two heartbreakingly sad recent losses to the sport.
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18:02
Who are the presenters? Reshmin Chowdhury is one … and she’s alongside Ruud Gullit!
18:01
Anyway, we’re – they’re – underway in Zurich! Behind the presenters is a huge, tessellated Zoom wall of fans.
17:59
“It’s good he’s on,” writes Tim Stappard of Bielsa. “Why not add a bit of joy to an uninspired list. Ronaldo and Messi should definitely not be there.”
These are fair points. Let’s be honest, cards on the table, no holds barred, tell it as it is: these lists are usually grindingly predictable so a curveball is always appreciated. If Lewandowski – definitely not a curveball by the way – doesn’t win the men’s one I’ll lose what little faith I had left.
17:57
No Rapinoe on this year’s women’s player list, so there will be a new holder. Lucy Bronze came third last year; Wendie Renard is a newbie and Pernille Harder, who is surely favourite, has already been anointed on these pages:
Is that … is that Marcelo Bielsa in the top three men’s coaches? Yes, yes it is, and it’s drawn a fair bit of comment since the finalists – and indeed the initial shortlists – were announced. It’s a strange one. Great to see he’s doing it with Leeds and they’re going well, playing some cracking stuff when it all walks out. But one of the world’s top three right now? It feels, on Fifa’s part, just a little bit like someone’s mid-life-crisis uncle trying to be cool.
17:45
Tonight’s finalists
Have a look at this little lot …
Men’s player: Cristiano Ronaldo / Robert Lewandowski / Lionel Messi
Women’s player: Lucy Bronze / Pernille Harder / Wendie Renard
Men’s goalkeeper: Alisson / Manuel Neuer / Jan Oblak
Women’s goalkeeper: Sarah Bouhaddi / Christiane Endler / Alyssa Naeher
Men’s coach: Marcelo Bielsa / Hansi Flick / Jurgen Klopp
Women’s coach: Sarina Wiegman / Emma Hayes / Jean-Luc Vassseur
Puskas (goal) award: Luis Suarez / Son Heung-min / Giorgian de Arrascaeta
We’ll flesh some of these out as we go.
10:36
Hello
Welcome to our virtual coverage of Fifa’s virtual “The Best” ceremony. Look, we’re all stuck at home right now. And besides: it’s been such a topsy-turvy year in football, never mind the world at large, that it might be anyone’s guess who the best men’s and women’s players this year actually are.
Lionel Messi won last time in the men’s half; for the women, Megan Rapinoe is reigning champion. Who would you like to replace them this year … or would you stick?
Ceremony patter-by-patter coming up. In the meantime, send me your footballing highlights of 2020 – or just your best player, team, manager and anything else you can think of.
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