The Best Fifa Football Awards take place on Monday, with Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk and England’s Lucy Bronze in contention for main honours.
Van Dijk is competing with Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi for the men’s player award.
Bronze is on the shortlist for the women’s player award with USA World Cup-winning duo Alex Morgan and Megan Rapinoe.
The winners will be announced at the ceremony in Milan.
In the coaches awards, Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola, Liverpool’s Jurgen Klopp and Tottenham’s Mauricio Pochettino are the final three in the men’s category, while England manager Phil Neville is in the running for best women’s coach.
This is the fourth edition of the Best Fifa Football Awards, set up after football’s world governing body ended its association with the Ballon d’Or.
A version of the Ballon d’Or has been awarded by France Football magazine since 1956, but was merged with Fifa’s World Footballer of the Year award from 2010 to 2015.
The governing body then introduced the Best Fifa Football Awards, with Portugal international Ronaldo the first recipient of its main prize in January 2017.
The Best trophies for player and coach of the year, in both men’s and women’s football, will be the result of a combined voting process, involving captains and head coaches of all national teams around the globe, an online ballot of fans and the submissions from a selected group of more than 200 media representatives.
Another award for Van Dijk?
Liverpool centre-back Van Dijk has already claimed the Uefa Men’s Player of the Year award, becoming the first defender to do so.
He could add the Fifa men’s award after helping his side win the Champions League in June. The Dutchman was voted PFA Player of the Year as the Reds finished second in the Premier League.
Last season he played every Premier League game as Liverpool conceded only 22 goals – the fewest in any of Europe’s top six leagues.
Van Dijk is up against Ronaldo, who scored 28 goals last season and won Serie A with Juventus and the Nations League with Portugal, as well as Barcelona’s Messi.
The Argentine forward netted 51 times in all competitions to win the Golden Boot in both the Champions League and La Liga, and claimed the Spanish top-flight title.
Bronze up against USA duo
Lyon right-back Bronze was named Uefa Player of the Year in the women’s category.
She picked up the Silver Ball at the World Cup in France for the second-best player at the tournament and helped Lyon complete the league and Champions League double.
Bronze is up against Rapinoe, who led the USA to a record fourth World Cup in July. She won the Golden Boot, the Golden Ball and scored the opener in the final before being named the Fifa Player of the Match in Lyon.
America team-mate Morgan also scored six goals and provided three assists in France to take home the Silver Boot.
Premier League boss guaranteed for award
Guardiola became the first manager to lead a team to an English domestic treble last season as Manchester City won the Premier League, FA Cup and Carabao Cup.
He finished ahead of Klopp’s Liverpool by a single point, but the Anfield club collected their sixth European Cup by triumphing in Madrid in June.
Pochettino, manager of beaten Champions League finalists Tottenham, is the third name in the men’s coach category.
Meanwhile, Neville, who led the Lionesses to a World Cup semi-final, is up against the USA’s World Cup-winning coach Jill Ellis and Sarina Wiegman, boss of European champions and World Cup finalists the Netherlands.
What happened last year?
Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric won the men’s prize for best player in 2018 – the first time in 11 years Ronaldo or Messi failed to come out on top in a world footballer of the year award.
Portugal striker Ronaldo came second, while Liverpool’s 2017-18 Premier League top scorer Mohamed Salah was voted third.
France manager Didier Deschamps – whose side beat Modric’s Croatia 4-2 in the World Cup final – was named best men’s coach.
In the women’s categories, Brazil legend Marta picked up her sixth award as best women’s player after leading her country to the Copa America Femenina title.
Germany captain Dzsenifer Marozsan was second, while Norwegian Ballon d’Or winner Ada Hegerberg came third.
Lyon’s Reynald Pedros led his side to the league and Women’s Champions League double in his first season in charge and picked up the women’s coach award.
2019 Best Fifa awards shortlists
Men’s player:
Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus/Portugal), Lionel Messi (Barcelona/Argentina), Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool/Netherlands)
Women’s player:
Lucy Bronze (Lyon/England), Alex Morgan (Orlando Pride/USA), Megan Rapinoe (Reign FC/USA)
Men’s coach:
Pep Guardiola (Manchester City), Jurgen Klopp (Liverpool), Mauricio Pochettino (Tottenham)
Women’s coach:
Jill Ellis (USA), Phil Neville (England), Sarina Wiegman (Netherlands)
Women’s goalkeeper:
Christiane Endler (Paris St-Germain/Chile), Hedvig Lindahl (Wolfsburg/Sweden), Sari van Veenendaal (Atletico Madrid/Netherlands)
Men’s goalkeeper:
Alisson (Liverpool/Brazil), Ederson (Manchester City/Brazil), Marc-Andre ter Stegen (Barcelona/Germany)
Puskas award (for best goal):
Lionel Messi (Barcelona v Real Betis), Juan Quintero (River Plate v Racing Club), Daniel Zsori (Debrecen v Ferencvaros)
