The England captain Harry Kane and national team coach Gareth Southgate have been shortlisted for Fifa’s player and coach of the year awards, after guiding the nation to a first World Cup semi-final in 28 years.
Kane, who won the Golden Boot at Russia 2018 after scoring six goals, joins last year’s winner Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi on a 10-man shortlist, but Neymar is controversially left out.
Other Premier League players to be included are Belgium duo Kevin De Bruyne and Eden Hazard, along with Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah.
France’s victorious World Cup team is also well represented, with Kylian Mbappé, defender Raphaël Varane and forward Antoine Griezmann all included, as is Croatia captain Luka Modric.
Southgate has strong competition in the coach of the year category with victorious France manager Didier Deschamps; Zlatko Dalic, the coach of World Cup runners-up Croatia; and Champions League winner Zinedine Zidane among the contenders.
Jürgen Klopp also picks up a nomination after Liverpool’s run to the Champions League final, as does Pep Guardiola after Manchester City’s Premier League title success. – Guardian
