The two-time world champion, the first goalkeeper to claim the award when she won two years ago, reinforced her reputation as one the best female stoppers on the planet at this year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup in Canada.

Angerer saved Claire Lavogez’s penalty to earn Germany a place in the semi-finals at the expense of France, where they lost to eventual winners the United States.

The 36-year-old called time on her glittering international career after the World Cup having amassed 146 caps in a 19-year period. 

Joining Angerer on the women's Ballon d’Or shortlist is compatriot Célia Šašić, whose six goals and one assist earned her the Golden Boot as the World Cup’s top goalscorer ahead of another nominee Carli Lloyd of America, who reached exactly the same tally but needed more playing time to do so.

Šašić also won the 2015 UEFA Women’s Champions League with FFC Frankfurt and scored more goals last season than any other player in Germany’s Bundesliga or the Champions League.

Midfielder Lloyd, winner of the Golden Ball as the best player at Canada 2015, is one of three players in the running who helped the US to their third World Cup triumph, along with Megan Rapinoe and Hope Solo.

Rapinoe’s brace inspired her country to a 3-1 win over Australia in their World Cup curtain-raiser and went on to celebrate her 30th birthday on July 5 by lifting the trophy with her team-mates after a 5-2 victory against Japan in the final in Vancouver.

Solo is making her first appearance on the world player of the year shortlist since 2011 having won the World Cup’s Golden Glove as the tournament’s best goalkeeper and claimed a place in the World Cup's all-star team.

Also on the list of nominees is Switzerland’s Ramona Bachmann, Canada’s Kadeisha Buchanan, French pair Amandine Henry and Eugénie Le Sommer, and Japan’s Aya Miyama.

America’s Jill Ellis, who led the US to World Cup success, is among the nominees for the world coach of the year for women’s football.

She is joined Canada manager John Herdman, Japan boss Norio Sasaki, and England coach Mark Sampson.

Club managers Colin Bell of FFC Frankfurt, Farid Benstiti of Paris Saint-Germain, Laura Harvey of Seattle Reign, Gérard Prêcheur of Olympique Lyonnais and Thomas Wörle of Bayern Munich also feature, as does Sweden’s under-19 national team chief Calle Barrling.

The lists of 10 female players and 10 coaches have been drawn up by experts from FIFA’s Committee for Women’s Football and the FIFA Women's World Cup, as well as a group of experts from bi-weekly magazine France Football.

The awards recognise the best in each category for their respective achievements between November 22, 2014 and November 20, 2015 inclusive.

The final decisions will be made, as is normal, by the captains and head coaches of the women’s national teams as well as international media representatives selected by FIFA with the voting period for the awards commencing on October 26 and closing at midnight (CET) on November 20.

The shortlists for the FIFA Ballon d’Or and the FIFA world coach of the year for men’s football awards are due to be revealed tomorrow.

On November 30, FIFA and France Football are scheduled to announce in a web show the names of the three women and three men, as well as the three coaches for women’s football and three coaches for men’s football, who have received the most votes, without announcing the winners.

The three nominees for the FIFA Puskás Award, for the best goal of the year, will also be unveiled.

The winners of all of the awards are set to be be announced at the FIFA Ballon d’Or as part of a televised show at the Kongresshaus in Zurich on January 11, 2016, during which the FIFA FIFPro world XI, the FIFA Puskás award, the FIFA Presidential award and the FIFA fair play award will also be presented.


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