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BBC Women's Footballer of the Year 2020: Meet the nominees

Voting for the BBC Women's Footballer of the Year 2020 has now closed.

Fans from across the world have been voting for their favourite since the five-player shortlist of Lucy Bronze, Julie Ertz, Sam Kerr, Vivianne Miedema and Megan Rapinoe was revealed on 12 February.

The winner of the award will be announced on Tuesday, 24 March on BBC World Service and the BBC Sport website.

The five contenders for the BBC World Service accolade were chosen by a panel of experts, including coaches, players, administrators and journalists.

Here's more on the five contenders vying for the honour, which is in its sixth year.

Lucy Bronze

BBC Women's Footballer of the Year 2020: Lucy Bronze profile

Age: 28 Country: England Caps: 81

Club: Lyon Position: Defender

Bronze enjoyed accolades playing for both club and country in 2019, claiming the treble with Lyon and helping England win the SheBelieves Cup and reach the World Cup semi-finals.

The right-back scored a 20-yard strike in the Lionesses quarter-final win over Norway on her way to picking up the award for second best player at the tournament.

Domestically, she was part of the Lyon side that lifted the French league, French Cup and Champions League trophies, and she was named Uefa's Women's Player of the Year and was runner-up for the women's Ballon d'Or.

Read Bronze's full profile

Julie Ertz

BBC Women's Footballer of the Year 2020: Julie Ertz profile

Age: 27 Country: USA Caps: 99

Club: Chicago Red Stars Position: Midfielder

An essential but often unsung member of the USA team, Ertz claimed her second World Cup winner's medal by helping her country to success at France 2019.

The midfielder, who had only moved to the position from defence in 2017, scored a goal in the group game against Chile and was named US Soccer Female Player of the Year for the second time.

In the NWSL she helped Chicago Red Stars finish second in the division and reach the play-off final, losing to North Carolina Courage.

Read Ertz's full profile

Sam Kerr

BBC Women's Footballer of the Year 2020: Sam Kerr profile

Age: 26 Country: Australia Caps: 76

Club: Chelsea Position: Forward

A new arrival at Chelsea this winter, Kerr finished as top scorer in two domestic leagues in 2019.

In the Australian W-League she found the net 13 times for Perth Glory to win back-to-back golden boots, and finished top scorer in the NWSL for the third successive time with a record 18 goals for Chicago Red Stars.

She became the first Australian to score a hat-trick at a World Cup, netting four times in a group win over Jamaica and scoring a total of five in the tournament.

Read Kerr's full profile

Vivianne Miedema

Football Writers' Women's Footballer of the Year: Vivianne Miedema

Age: 23 Country: Netherlands Caps: 87

Club: Arsenal Position: Forward

Miedema finished the 2018-19 WSL season as a champion and top goalscorer, netting 22 times as Arsenal claimed a first title in seven years.

That earned her the award of PFA Players' Player of the Year for the season.

She was part of the Netherlands side that reached the World Cup final, scoring three goals in the tournament that also saw her become her nation's all-time leading scorer across the women's and men's teams.

Read Miedema's full profile page

Megan Rapinoe

BBC Women's Footballer of the Year 2020: Megan Rapinoe profile

Age: 34 Country: USA Caps: 165

Club: Reign FC Position: Forward

Rapinoe co-captained the USA to success at the World Cup in 2019 and in the process claimed a hoard of accolades.

She won the Golden Boot as the tournament's top goalscorer with six, was selected as the best player of the tournament and was named player of the match in the final, a game in which she scored her 50th international goal.

Rapinoe was named Best Fifa Women's Player and received the Ballon d'Or for 2019.

Read Rapinoe's full profile