Moroccan goalkeeper Yacine Bounou star is on the rise.
Fresh off his victory as Africa’s Best Goalkeeper at the CAF Awards 2023, Bounou, the Montreal native, finds himself in contention for yet another individual honor – the 2023 FIFA Award for Best Goalkeeper of the Year.
This marks the second consecutive year that the Moroccan goalkeeper has secured a spot among the three finalists for this prestigious accolade.
Bounou faces tough competition in the form of Belgian goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois and Brazilian shot-stopper Ederson.
The Montreal native’s impressive achievements in 2023, including clinching the European Football League and the European Super Cup with his former club, Sevilla, have undoubtedly contributed to his nomination.
It is worth noting that Bounou, who actively participated with Morocco in the semi-finals of the Qatar 2022 World Cup, secured the third position in this award category last year, trailing behind Argentina’s Emiliano Martinez, who claimed the top honor, and Thibaut Courtois.
The FIFA Awards ceremony, where the winner of the Best Goalkeeper of the Year will be revealed, is scheduled to take place on 15 January 2024, in London. As Bounou vies for this prestigious title once again, football enthusiasts eagerly await the outcome of this highly anticipated event.
The finalists for The Best FIFA Women’s Goalkeeper are:
Mackenzie Arnold (Australia / West Ham United FC)
Catalina Coll (Spain / FC Barcelona)
Mary Earps (England / Manchester United)
The finalists for The Best FIFA Men’s Goalkeeper are:
Yassine Bounou (Morocco / Sevilla FC)
Thibaut Courtois (Belgium / Real Madrid CF)
Ederson (Brazil / Manchester City FC)
These two awards are bestowed upon the outstanding goalkeepers in women’s and men’s football as selected by an international jury comprising of four groups: women’s/men’s national team coaches (one per team), women’s/men’s national team captains (one per team), one specialist journalist from each territory represented by a national team, and fans from all over the world registered on FIFA.com.
The full voting and award process are detailed in the Rules of Allocation here.
Insights into the outstanding performances of Arnold, Coll, and Earps throughout the qualifying period can be accessed here. Similarly, the superb showings that led to Bounou, Courtois, and Ederson being named as the men’s final three can be viewed here.
FIFA will announce more finalists for The Best FIFA Football Awards 2023 soon. These announcements will include the finalists for The Best FIFA Women’s Coach, The Best FIFA Men’s Coach, The Best FIFA Women’s Player, The Best FIFA Men’s Player, and the FIFA Puskás Award.
Next month’s ceremony will mark the third time that FIFA has held The Best FIFA Football Awards in London, after the 2017 and 2018 award ceremonies were staged in the city.
To keep up with the latest news about The Best FIFA Football Awards 2023, fans can visit FIFA.com. Fans can also join the discussion about who should win the Awards by using the hashtag #TheBest.
