TEHRAN – Four Iranian futsal players have been nominated for the best player in the world in 2021 in four categories.

Launched in 2000, FutsalPlanet Awards, presented by magazine FutsalPlanet, aims to honour the best players of international futsal annually.

Aliasghar Hassanzadeh, who is now the most capped Iranian futsal player, has been nominated for the best men's player in the world.

Hassanzadeh’s rivals are Cristian Alejandro Borruto (ARG), Erick Olim Mendonça (POR), Esteban Cejudo Guerrero (ESP), Carlos Vagner Gularte Filho "Ferrão" (BRA), Jovan Lazarevic (SRB), Alex Rodrigo da Silva Merlim "Babalu" (BRA/ITA), Jean Pierre Guisel Costa "Pito" (BRA) and Rodrigo Hardy Araújo (BRA).

Soheila Malmoli is nominated for the best women's player in the world.

The Palayesh Naft Abadan player has to compete with Amanda Lyssa de Oliveira Crisostomo "Amandinha" (BRA), Emilly Micaela Marcondes (BRA), Janice Eloísa Da Silva (POR), Luana Verucia de Moura (BRA), Elizaveta Nikitina (RUS), Patricia González Mota "Peque" (ESP), Renata Adamatti "Renatinha" (BRA/ITA), Tatiane Debiasi Croceta "Taty" (BRA) and Débora Vanin “Miuda” (BRA) to win the accolade.

Iran futsal team custodian Alireza Samimi was nominated for the best men’s goalkeeper in the world.

The other nine candidates include Vietnam’s Ho Van Y (Vietnam), Andre Deko Pereira Coelho (Brazil), Didac Plana Oltra (Spain), Federico Perez Garrigos (Spain), Thiago Mendes Rocha Guitta (Brazil), Leonardo De Melo Vieira Leite Higuita (Brazil/Kazakhstan), Nicolas Sarmiento (Argentine), Dmitri Putilov (Russia) and Willian Felipe Dorn (Brazil).

Salar Aghapour has been also shortlisted for the best men's young player.

Aghapour’s rivals are Antonio Pérez Ortega (ESP), Ernesto Claudino Gris (BRA), Kamil Gereykhanov (RUS), Marcos Elian Ferreyra (ARG), Miguel Angel Cano Mellado (ESP), Muhammad Osamanmusa (THA), Pedro Henrique dos Santos Damaceno Ribeiro "Pedrinho" (BRA), Anton Sokolov (RUS) and Izaquel Gomes ”Zicky” Te´ (POR/GNB).