Dutch duo Lieke Martens and Sarina Wiegman were rewarded as The Best FIFA Women’s Player and Women’s coach and both were popular and deserving winners (especially after the initial online furore surrounding the omission of Australian Sam Kerr and Dane Pernille Harder from the players’ shortlist).
Neither could attend the ceremony at the Palladium in London, as they are preparing for their #WWC2019 Qualifier versus Norway on Tuesday eveing (24th Oct) but they received their awards via video link and sent typically humble and gracious messages of thanks.
Barcelona & Netherlands star Lieke Martens (also current UEFA Women’s Player of the Year), who emerged ahead of last year’s winner U.S. star Carli Lloyd, and Venezualan starlet Deyna Castellanos, in the final Best FIFA Women’s Player voting said: “Thank you very much everyone. I want to thank all my team-mates, without you I couldn’t achieve this. Of course my family is a very big part of it. To dad and mom, this one is also for you. Thank you very much!”
Wauw! Wauw! Wauw! @liekemartens1 is verkozen tot FIFA World Player of the Year. WIJ ZIJN TROTS! #oranjeleeuwinnen pic.twitter.com/SsN3Bdib4U
— OranjeLeeuwinnen (@oranjevrouwen) October 23, 2017
Her national team coach Sarina Wiegman, who led then OranjeLeeuwinnen to a thrilling triumph in the UEFA Women’s Euros on home soil in the summer, was the rightful recipient of the FIFA Women’s Coach of the Year award to complete a Dutch double.
The Best Awards winners, in full
Men’s Player: Cristiano Ronaldo
Women’s Player: Lieke Martens
Men’s Coach: Zinedine Zidane
Women’s Coach: Sarina Wiegman
Goalkeeper: Gianluigi Buffon
Puskás Award: Olivier Giroud
Fan Award: Celtic supporters
Fair Play Award: Francis Kone
World11: Gianluigi Buffon; Dani Alves, Leonardo Bonucci, Sergio Ramos, Marcelo; Toni Kroos, Andres Iniesta, Luka Modric; Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Neymar.
(And yes, ‘Where is the women’s World11?’ is a question a lot of people asked and we referenced in our rant HERE.)
You can check out the full voting for Women’s Player HERE.
