Football megastars headline Dubai Globe Soccer Awards shortlist

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Football fans across the world can now vote for their favourites in the first round of public voting to decide the winners of the 13th edition of the Dubai Globe Soccer Awards.

The gala ceremony will take place on Thursday, November 17 at the Madinat Jumeirah, three days before the start of the FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

Ahead of the awards ceremony, icons of the sport and decision makers who contribute to the success of international football, will gather for the star-studded 17th edition of the Dubai International Sports Conference, hosted once again by the Dubai Sports Council.

This year’s list of award categories includes the TikTok Fans' Player of the Year award, with Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Mohamed Salah in the running.

For Best Men's Player of the Year and Best Women's Player of the Year nominees include Karim Benzema, Thibaut Courtois, Erling Haaland, Beth Mead, Lucy Bronze and Spanish midfielder Alexia Putellas.

Twenty candidates are competing for the Best Men’s Club of the Year and ten for the Best Women's Club of the Year, with almost the entire European football aristocracy represented, alongside renowned clubs from South America and the Middle East.

Legends such as José Mourinho, Carlo Ancelotti and Pep Guardiola are nominated alongside Stefano Pioli in the Best Coach of the Year category.

Back for another edition is the Best President of the Year category with nominees including five of the most illustrious leaders in global football today – Pinto da Costa, Herbert Hainer, Khaldoon Al Mubarak, Florentino Pérez and Paolo Scaroni.

Two new awards, Power Horse Emerging Player of the Year will be closely watched with contenders such as Rafael Leão, Gavi, Victor Osimhen and Federico Valverde in the running, while the finalists for the CNN Off The Pitch Award will be announced in the coming weeks.

Best Sporting Director of the Year and Best Agent of the Year will award those who excel in recognising important aspects of the game, and they are joined by two new awards; Best Scout of the Year and Best Transfer Deal of the Year.

As in previous editions, a number of football legends will be presented with Career Awards in recognition of their outstanding contribution to football.

The newly launched Globe Soccer Digital Awards presented by 433, will honour the finest digital media influencers and creators in football’s virtual arena across five categories: Best Football Esports Player, Best Football Journalist, Best Football TikTok Creator, Best Football Social Media Influencer and Best Football YouTube Creator.

For the first time, Socios.com Fans Club of the Year and Socios.com Fan Engagement Activation of the Year will be featured at the Globe Soccer Awards, to be elected by the platforms’ users.

Fan engagement with the Awards has increased exponentially year on year, with the 2021 awards receiving votes from over 15 million football enthusiasts in over 210 countries and territories around the world.

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