SAN DIEGO (Dec. 3, 2024) – San Diego Wave FC announced today that Wave defender Naomi Girma has been nominated for FIFA’s Best Women’s Player Award and FIFPRO’s Women’s World 11. Girma and Wave goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan have also been named to the list of 77 players nominated for FIFA’s Best Women’s XI.
The nominations are based on performance between August 21, 2023 and August 10, 2024. Throughout this time, Girma became the first true defender to earn the U.S. Soccer Player of the Year award in its 39-year history. The San Diego defender also earned NWSL Defender of the Year while being named to the league’s 2023 Best XI. At 24 years old, she then played every minute of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, helping the USWNT to a gold medal.
Girma is nominated for FIFA’s Best Women’s Player among 16 others across the world. The voting for the Best Women’s Player will be equally weighted between fans, the current captains and coaches of all women’s national teams, and media representatives.
The FIFPRO World 11 nomination is Girma’s first of her career and it is the only global football award decided exclusively by professional footballers.
Sheridan and Girma have also earned nominations for FIFA’s Best XI among 77 players – 22 defenders, midfielders and forwards apiece, plus 11 goalkeepers. The voting for Best XI is weighted equally between fans and an expert panel.
Throughout the allotted time period, Sheridan earned nine shutouts for San Diego and made 89 saves in the regular season helping the Wave earn the 2023 NWSL Shield and win the 2024 NWSL Challenge Cup. On the international level, Sheridan helped Canada to three consecutive wins at the Paris Games before falling in penalty kicks in the quarterfinal match.
Voting is open for the FIFA Best Awards until Tuesday, Dec. 10 at 3 p.m. PT.
