Four Aston Villa players have been nominated for The Best FIFA Football Awards, ahead of next year’s ceremony.
Emi Martínez is up for The Best FIFA Men’s Goalkeeper Award, after another successful year for club and country.
It is the latest acknowledgement for the Argentinian stopper, on the back of exceptional form for both the Villans and his national side in recent years, which has seen him become the first player in history to win the Yashin Trophy in back-to-back seasons.
Martínez scooped the The Best FIFA Men’s Goalkeeper Award back in 2022, after helping his nation lift the World Cup, taking home the Golden Glove award for the best goalkeeper throughout the tournament after penalty-shoot-out heroics in the final.
He could now become the first man to win the award twice, since its introduction back in 2017, and is up against Gianluigi Donnarumma, Ederson, Andriy Lunin, Mike Maignan, David Raya and Unai Simón.
Voting is now open for the prize via the FIFA website, with the ceremony to take place in early 2025.
The Best FIFA Men’s Goalkeeper Award
Martínez is also nominated for the The Best FIFA Men’s 11 Award, alongside Ollie Watkins – who is listed in the attacker nominees – with Villa fans able to vote for both the goalkeeper and the England striker to be selected in the side.
Watkins was Villa’s top scorer last season, with a sensational tally of 27 goals and 13 assists in all competitions, and scored the dramatic late winner in England’s 2-1 win over Holland in the summer, to book his nation’s place in the European Championships Final.
The Best FIFA Men’s 11
Jaden Philogene is up for the coveted FIFA Puskás Award, recognising the best goal of the year, for his strike for Hull City in last season’s Championship campaign, against Rotherham United.
Cutting back inside his defender, Philogene dinked an audacious rabona effort over the goalkeeper from a tight angle, helping the Tigers secure a 2-1 victory at the New York Stadium.
And Aston Villa Women midfielder Kenza Dali has also been shortlisted for The Best FIFA Women’s 11.
The France international is recognised for outstanding form for club and country over the past 12 months, and could become the first-ever Aston Villa player to take home a women’s award at the ceremony.
Four Villans nominated for The Best FIFA Awards
Voting is open until 11.59pm on Tuesday, December 10. To view the full lists of nominees across all categories, click here.
