“You’ve Got Someone on the List I’ve Never Heard Of” – Megan Rapinoe Slammed FIFA Over Amateur Athlete’s Shocking Selection for Major Award Back in 2017

FIFA presented the best soccer player award every year since 2016 to the top-performing player. They award it in both male and female categories. They merged the awards with Balon d’Or earlier, but FIFA decided to revive it in 2016. But the second edition in 2017 saw a backlash at FIFA from female soccer stars, and fans, with Megan Rapinoe slamming FIFA for the nominations. 

She was upset at FIFA for selecting a rookie in the top three who never played professional soccer. Other female soccer players also condemned the world soccer governing body. Rapinoe wanted FIFA to intervene, but they didn’t. She claimed FIFA doesn’t care about women’s soccer.

Megan Rapinoe slammed FIFA for nominating a rookie for the Best Award in 2017

FIFA revived and started its own Best category awards for Best Player, Best Goalkeeper, Best Coach, and Best XI for both men and women in 2016. The governing body has a tough ask of nominating three players for the award from each section and often attracts criticism from the fans. 

But in 2017, they shocked soccer players and fans by nominating a rookie from Venezuela for the women’s award with Carli Lloyd and Lieke Martens. Deyna Castellanos was 18, and FIFA nominated her based on input from national team coaches, national team captains, media representatives, and fans. FIFA said their process was transparent. They were not involved in finalizing the nominees as per the governing body. 

Rapinoe, while speaking to BBC, said, “The award just doesn’t hold a lot of weight when you’ve got someone on the list I’ve never heard of. It signals to us and it signals to the rest of the world that Fifa doesn’t really care.”

“If some random male player, who was not even a full professional, was nominated, I’m sure they would step in for that, so it’s disappointing that the same hasn’t been done for us,” Rapinoe added, claiming FIFA doesn’t care for women’s soccer.

A look at nominees for FIFA Best Award for 2022

FIFA released the list of nominees for the 2022 awards. The ceremony will take place in Paris on February 27, 2023. The nominees for Men’s Best Player are Kylian Mbappe, Karim Benzema, and Lionel Messi. Alex Morgan, Alexia Putellas, and Beth Mead make it to the Women’s Best Player finalists.

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The other nominees for the Best award are as follows:

Men’s Goalkeeper: Thibaut Courtois, Yassine Bounou, Emiliano Martinez.

Women’s Goalkeeper: Ann-Katrin Berger, Mary Earps, Christiane Endler.

Men’s Coach: Carlo Ancelotti, Pep Guardiola, Lionel Scaloni

Women’s Coach: Sonia Bompastor, Pia Sundhage, Sarina Wiegman

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Let us know your predictions on who will be the winners from each category.