BBC Women’s Footballer of the Year 2017 is open for voting

The 2017 shortlisted footballers are:

• Melanie Behringer
  Club: Bayern Munich, Germany
  Country: Germany
• Ada Hegerberg
  Club: Olympique Lyonnais, France
  Country: Norway
• Hedvig Lindahl
  Club: Chelsea, UK
  Country: Sweden
• Marta
  Club: Orlando Pride, USA
  Country: Brazil
• Christine Sinclair
  Club: Portland Thorns, USA
  Country: Canada

Mary Hockaday, Controller of BBC World Service English says: “Now in its third year, the BBC Women’s Footballer of the Year award celebrates the very best in women’s football around the world, and this year’s shortlist represents a truly incredible array of talent. 2017 is a big year for women’s sport, and this award is a chance for us to recognise the extraordinary advances in women’s football over recent years, and for fans across the globe to vote for their favourite player.”

The shortlist was announced during BBC World Service’s programme Sportsworld. The vote will close on Monday 15 May (8am GMT) and the winner of the BBC Women’s Footballer of the Year 2017 will be revealed on Tuesday 30th May 2017 during Sport Today on BBC World Service at 6.30-7pm GMT, on BBC World News and online bbc.com/womensfootball and on BBC social media channels.

The shortlist was selected by a large panel of experts involved in the game from all around the world, including coaches, players, administrators and journalists.

Quotes from shortlisted players

Melanie Behringer, says: “I’m very happy and proud to be nominated for this award, I never believed I would be nominated, but 2016 was very successful and amazing for me. To win the Olympic gold medal, to hold it in your hands is a feeling you cannot describe.”

Ada Hegerberg says “It’s a huge honour to be nominated. These kinds of prizes and trophies boost your confidence and give you motivation to keep going; it’s up to the people to decide. I’ve got my focus on becoming a better player now, but our Champions League victory speaks for itself and last year winning the treble.”

Hedvig Lindahl says: “I feel honoured to be chosen as one of the five best players in the world. Just let that sink in - from all of the players in the world! I’m thankful and the fact it’s a BBC award - I’m honoured.”

Marta says: “I was very happy to be nominated one more time by the BBC. This shows that really what we have been doing over the years has been fruitful. To win this award undoubtedly would mean a lot to me. It would give me more motivation to pursue my best every year, to do my best within the National team and within my soccer team.”

Christine Sinclair says: “It’s a huge honour to be nominated; there are some incredible football players in the women’s football game that have had incredible years. To win this award obviously would be a huge honour but it would be a testament to our team and the year we had beating the teams we did in the Olympics. We put our team on the map.”

Voting information

The public can vote online for free on bbc.com/womensfootball

Further details about the awards and terms & conditions are online bbc.com/womensfootball

Audiences can follow the competition on radio through Sportsworld on BBC World Service, and on the dedicated pages on bbc.com/womensfootball.

Information and updates on the competition will also be available on social media on BBC World Service’s Facebook and on Twitter via @bbcworldservice, plus on BBC Sport’s Facebook and Twitter @bbcsport. Audiences can get involved by using the hashtag #BBCWFOTY

Last year’s winner was Scottish footballer Kim Little who plays for Arsenal, and the 2015 winner was Nigerian footballer Asisat Oshoala who now plays for Dalian Quanjian Football Club in China.

SS2