Matildas forward Sam Kerr has been named on the Top 10 shortlist for the FIFA Best Women’s Player 2017 award.

Kerr is the first Australian – male or female – to be named in the top 10 for World Player of the Year award and it follows a standout year for club and country.

Kerr's 2017 started with the Perth Glory captain leading her team to the 2017 W-League Grand Final thanks to her 10 goals and 4 assists in 13 games.

After a slow start, Kerr's form carried into the National Women's Soccer League where the 23 year old has currently recorded 11 goals and 3 assists with her American club side Sky Blue FC.

2017 saw the Perth born footballer claim the NWSL All time goalscoring record and has twice been named the NWSL Player of the Month.

For the Matildas, the forward has been a key component, recording 4 goals and 3 assists in 7 games for Australia, highlighted by a hat trick against AFC champions Japan at the 2017 Tournament of Nations.

She is nominated for the 2017 award alongside EUROs Player of the Tournament Lieke Martens (Netherlands), Denmark captain Pernille Harder and German captain Dzsenifer Marozsán, all three of whom are finalists for the European Women's Player of the Year.

The full nominees are:

  • Lucy BRONZE (ENG)

  • Deyna CASTELLANOS (VEN)

  • Pernille HARDER (DEN)

  • Samantha KERR (AUS)

  • Carli LLOYD (USA)

  • Dzsenifer MAROZSAN (GER)

  • Lieke MARTENS (NED)

  • Vivianne MIEDEMA (NED)

  • Wendie RENARD (FRA)

  • Jodie TAYLOR (ENG)

The ten woman shortlist for The Best FIFA Women’s Player 2017 award has been compiled by a panel of experts representing all of FIFA’s confederations including:

  • Mia Hamm (USA)

  • Maia Jackman (NZL)

  • Nadine Kessler (GER)

  • Jacqueline Shipanga (NAM)

  • Sissi (BRA)

  • Sun Wen (CHN)

The 10 player shortlist will be whittled down to the three finalists after key members of the women’s footballing community - namely journalists, fans, national team coaches and captains - vote for the winner, with the final three finalists will be announced at a later date.

Coach of the Year

Along with the Player of the Year, the nominees for Women's Coach of the Year have also been revealed.

Coaches from the European nations feature heavily due to the recent European Championships with the winning Netherlands head coach Sarina Wiegman one of the leading contenders.

  • Olivier ECHOUAFNI (France)

  • Emma HAYES (England)

  • Ralf KELLERMANN (Germany)

  • Xavier LLORENS (Spain)

  • Nils NIELSEN (Denmark)

  • Florence OMAGBEMI (Nigeria)

  • Gerard PRECHEUR (France)

  • Dominik THALHAMMER (Austria)

  • Sarina WIEGMAN (Netherlands)

  • HWANG Yongbong (DPR Korea)

Voting starts on Monday, 21 August and finishes on Thursday 7 September.

FIFA Football Awards

All the awards, along with the FIFA Best Goalkeeper, FIFA Puskás Award for best goal, the FIFA Fair Play Award and the FIFA Fan Award, will be presented at The Best FIFA Football Awards ceremony in London on 23 October 2017.