Already a four-time winner of the Concacaf Women’s Player of the Year (2013, 2016, 2017, 2018), Alex Morgan of the United States performed exceptionally in 2022 to once again become a nominee for the region’s most distinct individual achievement.
Morgan has already collected plenty of honors for her dazzling 2022 season. At the international level, she earned the Golden Ball as the best player at the 2022 Concacaf W Championship in Monterrey, Mexico, in helping the U.S. to a first place finish.
Morgan finished as the joint-top scorer at the CWC in Monterrey by scoring three goals, including the winning goal in the Final, a 1-0 victory over rivals Canada. She also earned a place on the tournament’s Best XI.
Women’s football in Mexico continues to grow with every year and perhaps no player better epitomizes that than Alicia Cervantes.
The 29-year-old Mexico and Chivas FW was a headache for opponents of all kinds all throughout the year, making her a nominee for the 2022 Concacaf Women’s Player of the Year award.
Cervantes started her 2022 with plaudits for her 2021 when she was recognized in January 2022 as the world’s best scorer for the previous year by the International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS), sharing the honor with Lucie Martinkova of the Czech Republic.
It was another banner year for the Canadian Women’s National Team and headlining that effort was the performance of 24-year-old midfielder and 2022 Concacaf Women’s Player of the Year nominee Jessie Fleming.
Canada are on their way to the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia/New Zealand thanks in part to Fleming, who scored three goals for her country at the 2022 Concacaf W Championship in Monterrey, Mexico, earning Best XI honors at the tournament.
Fleming’s goals came in big moments, with a score in the 6-0 group stage win over Trinidad and Tobago and a goal in the 2-0 group stage triumph over Costa Rica, followed by a goal in the 3-0 semifinal victory against Jamaica.
When it comes to trailblazing and women’s football in the Caribbean, everything starts with Jamaica, who are led by talismanic striker Khadija Shaw.
The 31-year-old is a mainstay when it comes to top distinctions and honors in Concacaf and another superb year in 2022 has placed her among the nominees for the 2022 Concacaf Women’s Player of the Year.
The runner-up for the 2018 Concacaf Women’s Player of the Year when Jamaica became the first Caribbean nation to ever qualify for a FIFA Women’s World Cup, Shaw played a huge role in helping her country qualify for their second straight Women’s World Cup, leading the Reggae Girlz to a Third-Place finish at the 2022 Concacaf W Championship in Monterrey, Mexico, which punched their ticket to Australia/New Zealand.
The Haitian Women’s National Team continued to make history in 2022 and none of it would have been possible without 2022 Concacaf Women’s Player of the Year nominee Melchie Dumornay.
The 19-year-old attacking midfielder played in seven matches with Haiti in 2022 and scored five goals. Of note were her three goals in Qualifying for the 2022 Concacaf W Championship, with a goal in the 6-0 win versus Cuba and a brace in the 21-0 victory over British Virgin Islands.
Dumornay then was a big part of Haiti’s campaign at the CWC in Monterrey, Mexico, creating headaches for opposing defenses with five steals and two clearances, while completing almost 82 percent of her passes.
Dumornay’s playmaking led to a penalty in Haiti’s opener versus the United States and then completed the tournament by twice hitting the post against Jamaica.
2022 is a year that Sophia Smith will always remember. The 22-year-old FW starred for both club and country to earn herself a place among the six nominees for Concacaf Women’s Player of the Year for 2022.
Smith scored 15 goals in 20 NWSL games, including the opening goal for the Portland Thorns in the Championship game, to help Portland win the 2022 NWSL Championship. Smith also added three goals in five NWSL Challenge Cup matches.
Not only did she garner NWSL Championship Game Most Valuable Player honors, but she was also voted the NWSL MVP for the 2022 season and was named to the 2022 NWSL Best XI.
2022 will be a year that will forever live in Canadian Men’s National Team lore and right at the center of it was 2022 Concacaf Men’s Player of the Year nominee Alphonso Davies.
The 22-year-old entered the Canada Soccer record books when he scored the first ever Canada goal at a Senior Men’s World Cup when he struck for a first half header in Canada’s 4-1 group stage defeat to Croatia at the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.
Overall, he played in seven matches with Canada in 2022, including all three at Qatar 2022. He was also a force in 2022-23 Concacaf Nations League play, bagging a brace in a 4-0 win over Curacao in front of the fans in his hometown of Vancouver, British Columbia.
When it comes to consistency, one would be hard-pressed to find a better performer than Andre Blake.
The 32-year-old GK is an anchor in net for both the Jamaican Men’s National Team and the Philadelphia Union, showing in 2022 why he is once again a nominee for the Concacaf Men’s Player of the Year award.
During the calendar year 2022, Blake appeared in eight matches with the Reggae Boyz, including their final six matches of Concacaf World Cup Qualifying for Qatar 2022.
He also featured in one match last June during the 2022-23 Concacaf Nations League in which Jamaica earned a solid 1-1 draw against Mexico.
Christian Pulisic continues to be one of the leaders for the United States Men’s National Team and at club side Chelsea, and 2022 proved to be another big year for the attacking midfielder.
Because of his strong performances for club and country, the 24-year-old has been nominated for the 2022 Concacaf Men’s Player of the Year award.
It was a significant year for Pulisic in that he helped the U.S. return to the FIFA World Cup for the first time since Brazil 2014.
He appeared in six Concacaf World Cup Qualifiers for Qatar 2022 during the calendar year, scoring four goals. His first was a strike in the 3-0 win over Honduras, followed by a hat trick performance in the commanding 5-1 win versus Panama.
Things may change quickly in Concacaf, but one thing that remains the same is the excellence of GK Guillermo Ochoa.
After another superb year in 2022, the veteran Mexican shot-stopper has been nominated for the 2022 Concacaf Men’s Player of the Year Award.
At the international level, Ochoa once again shined bright on the biggest stage at the FIFA World Cup.
The 37-year-old conceded just three goals in Mexico’s three games and delivered one of the most memorable moments of the group stage when he saved Poland FW Robert Lewandowski’s penalty in the second half of their opening 0-0 draw.
As each year passes, Jonathan David seems to get better and it was no surprise that 2022 ended up being a big one for the 23-year-old FW, who joins Alphonso Davies as Canadian players nominated for the 2022 Concacaf Men’s Player of the Year award.
David was a major part of Canada qualifying for their first Senior Men’s World Cup since Mexico 1986, playing in all six Concacaf World Cup Qualifiers for Qatar 2022 during the calendar year 2022 and scoring two goals.
During a difficult three-match January/February window in which Canada paid visits to El Salvador and Honduras, Jonathan David scored a goal in each game in a pair of 2-0 victories.
That momentum was carried into 2022-23 Concacaf Nations League play last June, as David scored a goal in two games for his country.
A new generation of players is leading the United States Men’s National Team forward, and at the heart of it all is team captain Tyler Adams.
The 24-year-old MF starred for both club and country in 2022, making him a nominee for the 2022 Concacaf Men’s Player of the Year.
At Qatar 2022, the U.S. played in their first FIFA Senior Men’s World Cup since Brazil 2014, with Adams serving as the youngest captain for a U.S. World Cup team since Brazil 1950.
Adams played every single minute of the U.S. campaign at the World Cup, helping the North Americans reach the Round of 16. He also earned Man of the Match honors in the first two group stage matches for the U.S., a 1-1 draw with Wales followed by a 0-0 draw against England.