Manchester City dominate nominations for Dubai Globe Soccer Awards

Manchester City’s treble-winning squad dominate the longlist for the 14th Dubai Globe Soccer Awards best male player category.

Pep Guardiola’s side secured a historic Champions League, Premier League and Champions League treble last season, which also saw striker Erling Haaland finish his first campaign at the club with 52 goals across all competitions.

This season, City have continued where they left off by winning the Uefa Super Cup for the first time after beating Sevilla on penalties and also currently sit top of their respective Premier League and Champions League tables.

Ten City players are in the running for the men’s award, alongside previous winners Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and last year’s victor Karim Benzema.

Other notable nominees include Bayern Munich’s Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham of Real Madrid and Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah.

Manchester City are joined by the likes of Serie A champions Napoli, Saudi Pro League winners Al Ittihad, African champions Al Ahly and Copa Libertadores winners Fluminense in the best men’s club nominations.

In the best women’s player category, Spain’s World Cup winner Aitana Bonmati, Chelsea’s Sam Kerr, and German great Alexandra Popp are among 20 nominees, while best women’s club includes Champions League holders Barcelona and six-time Women’s Super League champions Chelsea.

Guardiola leads the nominations for best coach, alongside the likes of Marcel Koller at Al Ahly, and Real Madrid’s Carlo Ancelotti, the most decorated coach in Uefa Champions League history, having won the trophy a record four times.

The Maradona Award for the calendar year’s top goalscorer, meanwhile, is being contested by Haaland, Kane, Ronaldo and Mbappe, who are all separated by only a handful of goals with less than six weeks left of 2023.

The emergence of the Saudi Pro League as a global force that has attracted the likes of Ronaldo, Benzema and Neymar to the region, this year will see the introduction of two Middle East award categories.

Mohamed Salah won TikTok Fan’s Player of the Year. Photo: Dubai Globe Soccer Awards 2022

The image of Karim Benzema, winner of the Best Men’s Player at the Dubai Globe Soccer Awards 2022, adorns the Burj Khalifa. Photo: Dubai Globe Soccer Awards

Zlatan Ibrahimovic was one of three players to win the Player Career Award. Photo: Dubai Globe Soccer Awards 2022

Sergio Ramos won Best Defender of All Time. Photo: Dubai Globe Soccer Awards 2022

Spanish legend Emilio Butragueno accepts Real Madrid’s award for Best Men’s Club of the Year. Photo: Dubai Globe Soccer Awards 2022

Egypt and Liverpool striker Mohamed Salah attends Dubai Globe Soccer Awards 2022. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Former England player and DC United manager Wayne Rooney attends Dubai Globe Soccer Awards 2022. Rooney also won the Player Career Award. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Montpellier and France defender Mamadou Sakho attends Dubai Globe Soccer Awards 2022. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Former Roma and Italy striker Francesco Totti attends Dubai Globe Soccer Awards 2022. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Sporting director Frederic Massara attends Dubai Globe Soccer Awards 2022. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Head coach of Aston Villa Unai Emery attends Dubai Globe Soccer Awards 2022. Emery received the Coach Career Award. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Former Real Madrid and Spain striker Emilio Butragueno attends Dubai Globe Soccer Awards 2022. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Football agent Rene Ramos attends Dubai Globe Soccer Awards 2022. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Former Arsenal and France defender Bacary Sagna attends Dubai Globe Soccer Awards 2022. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Footballer Zlatan Ibrahimović attends Dubai Globe Soccer Awards 2022. Chris Whiteoak / The National

PSG defender Sergio Ramos with wife Pilar Rubio attend Dubai Globe Soccer Awards 2022. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Former AC Millan and Italy defender Paolo Maldini attends Dubai Globe Soccer Awards 2022. Maldini and sport director Frederic Massara jointly received the Sporting Director Awrd for their work at the Italian club AC Milan. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Former Brazil player Romário attends Dubai Globe Soccer Awards 2022. Chris Whiteoak / The National

The Portuguese forward headlines a 12-player list for the inaugural best Middle East player, while best Middle East Club nominees include Al Hilal, Al Ahly and Ronaldo’s Al Nassr.

With online voting opening today, football fans worldwide can have their say on who should be shortlisted for 11 of the 16 main categories, as well as four digital awards, by voting at vote.globesoccer.com until December 7.

Shortlists are then voted on between December 12 and 28 both by fans and Globe Soccer’s Official Jury, made up of more than 30 key football industry figures, including Francesco Totti, Iker Casillas, Luis Figo and Marcello Lippi.

The annual Dubai Globe Soccer Awards will take place alongside the 18th Dubai International Sports Conference in partnership with Dubai Sports Council on January 19 at the five-star Atlantis, The Palm.

“Since their launch, the Dubai International Sports Conference and the Dubai Globe Soccer Awards – introduced in 2006 and 2010 respectively – have evolved into a global platform loyally followed around the world, growing every year,” said Saeed Hareb, secretary general of Dubai Sports Council.

“They each play a pivotal role in fostering the development of the sport globally while highlighting the achievements of distinguished players, coaches, and decision-makers.

“To welcome so many of football’s most prominent names to Dubai underlines the enduring attraction of the emirate, while also celebrating the progress of football in the region and the world – something that is further strengthened by the launch of the two new region-specific awards this year.”