Such has been Sam Kerr’s stunning form this year, a Twitter hashtag highlighting the Matilda’s improbable feats launched and gained momentum with every show-stopping performance she put in. If those #samkerrfacts are to be believed, there is little the forward cannot achieve. Now, following a Fifa nomination, not even being officially recognised as the best player on the planet seems to be out of her reach.

Kerr, whose performances at domestic and international level this year have made the world sit up and take notice, appeared on a 10-woman longlist on Friday of players in contention to be crowned 2017’s best female footballer.

The list, which also includes American star Carli Lloyd and the England players Lucy Bronze and Jodie Taylor, will be narrowed down to three by mid-September with the winner to be announced at a Fifa gala ceremony in London on 23 October.

Kerr, 23, has emerged as one of the world’s leading players after scintillating seasons for Perth Glory in the W-League and her club side in the US, Sky Blue FC, were complemented by some superb form in a Matildas shirt.

Kerr led from the front as Australia won the recent Tournament of Nations, scoring four times in the tournament which featured the hosts USA, Brazil and Japan. Australia won all three of their games, including a famous first victory over the world No 1-ranked US, to claim their first silverware since winning the Asian Cup in 2010.

The best Fifa women’s player 2017 nominees Lucy Bronze (England, Manchester City)

Deyna Castellanos (Venezuela, Santa Clarita Blue Heat)

Pernille Harder (Denmark, Linkopings / VFL Wolfsburg)

Sam Kerr (Australia, Perth Glory / Sky Blue FC)

Carli Lloyd (USA, Houston Dash / Manchester City)

Dzsenifer Marozsan (Germany, Olympique Lyonnais)

Lieke Martens (Netherlands, FC Barcelona)

Vivianne Miedema (Netherlands, Arsenal)

Wendie Renard (France, Olympique Lyonnais)

Jodie Taylor (England, Arsenal)

Kerr’s first-half hat-trick in the 4-2 win over Japan stood out as one of the moments of the tournament – her backflip celebration was not too far behind – as Australia cemented their reputation as a team to be taken seriously at the 2019 World Cup in France.

The Fremantle-born Kerr, who has represented Australia 53 times, won the W-League’s Julie Dolan medal this season after scoring 10 times on the way to the grand final, which Glory lost to Melbourne City. “We are all so proud, well deserved,” said Michelle Heyman, one of several Matildas players to offer their congratulations on Twitter.

But while tributes poured in for Kerr, news of the omission of Matildas coach Alen Stajcic from the list of coaches up for Fifa honours was less well received.

Stajcic has led the Matildas to five wins, one draw and just one defeat in 2017 and has been credited with masterminding the team’s recent rise into the world’s elite. Matildas co-captain Lisa De Vanna pointed to the “endless amount of achievements in the past three years” and said his omission from the coach of the year list was “absolute bullshit”.