Ballon d'Or shortlist announced

[Dr. Pepper]

Sky Sports | Football | Premier League | News | Ballon d'Or snubs English flops

World Player of the Year nominees:

Xabi Alonso (Spain), Daniel Alves (Brazil), Iker Casillas (Spain), Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal), Didier Drogba (Ivory Coast), Samuel Eto'o (Cameroon), Cesc Fabregas (Spain), Diego Forlan (Uruguay), Asamoah Gyan (Ghana), Andres Iniesta (Spain), Julio Cesar (Brazil), Miroslav Klose (Germany), Philipp Lahm (Germany), Maicon (Brazil), Lionel Messi (Argentina), Thomas Muller (Germany), Mesut Ozil (Germany), Carles Puyol (Spain), Arjen Robben (Holland), Bastian Schweinsteiger (Germany), Wesley Sneijder (Holland), David Villa (Spain) and Xavi (Spain).

World Coach of the Year nominees:

Carlo Ancelotti (Chelsea), Vicente del Bosque (Spain), Sir Alex Ferguson (Manchester United), Pep Guardiola (Barcelona), Joachim Low (Germany), Jose Mourinho (Inter Milan/Real Madrid), Oscar Tabarez (Uruguay), Louis Van Gaal (Bayern Munich), Bert van Marwijk (Holland) and Arsene Wenger (Arsenal).

Asamoah Gyan

Ashley Cole can feel hard done by I think. He has easily been the best left back in the world in recent times. Sergio Busquets' absence is absolutely ludicrous, he's been fantastic over the past year in all competitions, especially in the World Cup.

Xavi has to win it at some point in his career. He's just been too good not to. Iniesta has also been brilliant. Messi and Ronaldo have obviously been great. I hope either Xavi or Iniesta win it this year.

Dr. Pepper added 2 Minutes and 13 Seconds later...

Oh and I almost forgot; no Scholes? He was the heartbeat of the United team last year, playing as if he's in his prime at the age of 36.

 

[Lee1981]

Glad to see that tit rooney aint up for anything.

 

[ZexyZahid]

I am sure it's going to be a Spanish player to win this award.

Or it could be Sneijder since he won the treble with Inter Milan and was in the final of the World Cup.

On the basis of pure play I would vote on Messi.

 

[JBlues08]

Not too sure who's going to win the World Player of the Year. It could be Xavi, Sneijder, Iniesta, Messi, Villa or even Forlan. As for the other award, I think it will be either Mourinho and Del Bosque who will win it. No offence but why is Arsene Wenger in the list?

Another thing, aren't performances from the domestic leagues in the previous season taken into account when selecting the nominees? If so, then I think a few more players should be in that list.

 

[m_vaughan]

Sneijder deserves it. Won the treble with the club and reached the WC final. Was instrumental in both. Iniesta does NOT deserve it. I know he scored the winning goal in the WC final, but you really have to look at the entire season, for which they are other more deserving candidates.

My money is on Sneijder and Mourinho.

 

[ZexyZahid]

Problem is that the winner of this award in the most time is a World Cup winner in the particular year the award is given. Just like it happened with Cannavaro, Ronaldo and Zidane.

So I am expecting that a Spanish player would win it. But it would be nice for a change that a World Cup winner doesn't win it and that the performances outside the World Cup are taking into account.

In the article there is a list of previous winners of this award.

Page last updated at 09:18 GMT, Tuesday, 26 October 2010 10:18 UK
Spanish World Cup winners dominate Fifa award shortlist
BBC Sport - Football - Spanish World Cup winners dominate Fifa award shortlist

 

[Dr. Pepper]

Sneijder deserves it. Won the treble with the club and reached the WC final. Was instrumental in both. Iniesta does NOT deserve it. I know he scored the winning goal in the WC final, but you really have to look at the entire season, for which they are other more deserving candidates.

My money is on Sneijder and Mourinho.

Sneijder was very average in the World Cup, I thought. In the domestic season however he was excellent.

Iniesta had a poor domestic season for his standards but he came good in the big tournament, and has generally been brilliant over the past few years.

I think Xavi should win it for being generally brilliant. His bar is set so high that his average performance would be excellent for every other player.

 

[Bevab]

How can Gyan come there?
Surely Busquests or Fabiano should be there. Also Drogba is not at his peak now.
Eto'o is a great contender. And Higuain, Suarez, Lugano deserve a nomination.

 

[Haarithan]

wtf man, how come luis suarez miss out ?? What else does he need to do to prove his class ?? A galoring 47 goals for ajax followed by three in the WC and not to forget the "save of the tournament" against ghana in the QF . Once again led his team to the champions league netting a brace for ajax in the qualifiers . I mean what more does anyone want from this unbelievable talent ??

 

[Bevab]

Yeah Drogba and Alves not okay at all now and instead Suarez, Higuain, Fabiano were not there. There is nobody from AC Milan.
There is nobody from Manchester United:banana2
And Scholes not there is not good.
Villa, Casillas, Eto'o are playing greatly. They can be good for this award.

 

[Dr. Pepper]

Suarez may have scored goals at the World Cup but he was still quite crap. His build up play was non-existant, his off the ball movement was poor and his all round game was nothing special.

 

[m_vaughan]

Goals in the Eredivisie don't necessarily mean anything.