Fifa Ballon d'Or Award 2010
October 26th 2010 15:08
Link: twitter.com/mattsaltmer
For the first time ever this year, the Ballon d'Or Award for European Footballer of the year, has merged with the Fifa World Player of the year award, into one top honour, the Fifa Ballon d'Or Award. This was a logical step, as recent years have seen player after player, walk off with both awards, with Lionel Messi doing just that in 2009. Today the nominations for the award were announced, unsurprisingly dominated by Spanish World Cup Winners. There are three English Premier League players on the list, but no English players.
The favourites will be the usual contenders, Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Xavi and Andres Iniesta. But given Spain's World Cup victory, fellow countrymen Xabi Alonso, Iker Casillas, Carles Puyol and Cesc Fabregas are on the shortlist. The seventh Spaniard on the list, is David Villa. Given his fantastic form in South Africa, and blistering start to his Barcelona career, he is a big contender.
But of course this isn't an award based on the World Cup, but the best player in World football in 2010. So four of Inter Milan's Champions League winning squad make the list, Julio Cesar, Wesley Snjeider, Maicon and Samuel Eto'o. Joining Fabreagas from the EPL, are Chelsea's Didier Drogba, and Sunderland's Asamoah Gyan. Here is the 23 man shortlist for the Fifa Ballon d'Or 2010, in full;
Xabi Alonso (Real Madrid & Spain), Daniel Alves (Barcelona & Brazil), Iker Casillas (Real Madrid & Spain), Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid & Portugal), Didier Drogba (Chelsea & Ivory Coast), Samuel Eto'o (Inter Milan & Cameroon), Cesc Fabregas (Arsenal & Spain), Diego Forlan (Atletico Madrid and Uruguay), Asamoah Gyan (Sunderland & Ghana), Andres Iniesta (Barcelona & Spain), Julio Cesar (Inter Milan & Brazil), Miroslav Klose (Bayern & Germany), Phillip Lahm (Bayern & Germany), Maicon (Inter Milan & Brazil), Lionel Messi (Barcelona & Argentina), Thomas Muller (Bayern & Germany), Mesut Ozil (Real Madrid & Germany), Carles Puyol (Barcelona & Spain), Arjen Robben (Bayern & Holland), Bastian Schweinsteiger (Bayern & Germany), Wesley Sneijder (Inter Milan & Holland), David Villa (Barcelona & Spain) and Xavi (Barcelona & Spain)
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