GSA in Dubai: Salah, Messi and Ronaldo on shortlist

The Globe Soccer Awards will this year for the first time honour the world’s foremost female football talent, with the premier men’s prize in Dubai to be contested by the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Mohamed Salah.

The 11th staging of the awards, organised in partnership with Dubai Sports Council, will take place at Madinat Jumeirah on December 29, where the women’s game will be represented in categories for best player, best club and best referee.

Megan Rapinoe and Alex Morgan headline the nominations following their principal roles this summer in the USA national team’s success at the Fifa Women’s World Cup.

Both are in the running for best women’s player, alongside England’s Lucy Bronze. Last month, Rapinoe pipped the pair to the lead women’s honour at the Fifa Best Football Awards.

“The sport is going from strength to strength and with the popularity of the Fifa Women’s World Cup this year, watched by over 1.5 billion people across the globe and an impressive fan base, we wanted to recognise the immense talent that is evident across the board,” said Tommaso Bendoni, the chief executive at Globe Soccer.

“We’ll be welcoming the biggest names in the sport to Dubai for another all-star event including international players, coaches and the people who work behind the scenes to make competitions possible.

“We also extend our thanks to Dubai Sports Council for their ongoing support in helping recognise the talents in soccer, both regionally and internationally.”

Meanwhile, the award for best men’s player pits against one another Ronaldo, Messi and Salah, together with the Egyptian’s Liverpool teammates Sadio Mane, Virgil van Dijk and Alisson. Manchester City winger Bernardo Silva makes up the seven-man shortlist.

Liverpool dominate the nominations following their success in last season’s Uefa Champions League, with manager Jurgen Klopp the early favourite to win best coach.

The awards, to be held in conjunction with the Dubai International Sports Conference, will be decided by a panel that includes Fabio Capello, Antonio Conte and Eric Abidal.