Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have been named on 23-man shortlist for this year's FIFA World Player of the Year award.
Real Madrid ace Ronaldo won the award last season for his stunning form with Manchester United, but the hot favourite to lift the award is Barcelona star Messi.
The FIFA Football Committee has selected the shortlist, which includes six Spaniards, four Englishmen and three Brazilians, with a number of players from other countries making up the 23.
Voting for the award will be carried out by the captain and head coach of each national team, and the shortlist will be whittled down to five players at the start of December, before the final ceremony in Zürich.
FIFA World Player 2009 shortlist:
Michael Ballack (Germany), Gianluigi Buffon (Italy), Iker Casillas (Spain), Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal), Diego (Brazil), Didier Drogba (Ivory Coast), Michael Essien (Ghana), Samuel Eto'o (Cameroon), Steven Gerrard (England), Thierry Henry (France), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Sweden), Andres Iniesta (Spain), Kaka (Brazil), Frank Lampard (England), Luis Fabiano (Brazil), Lionel Messi (Argentina), Carles Puyol (Spain), Franck Ribery (France), Wayne Rooney (England), John Terry (England), Fernando Torres (Spain), David Villa (Spain), Xavi (Spain)
Real Madrid ace Ronaldo won the award last season for his stunning form with Manchester United, but the hot favourite to lift the award is Barcelona star Messi.
The FIFA Football Committee has selected the shortlist, which includes six Spaniards, four Englishmen and three Brazilians, with a number of players from other countries making up the 23.
Voting for the award will be carried out by the captain and head coach of each national team, and the shortlist will be whittled down to five players at the start of December, before the final ceremony in Zürich.
FIFA World Player 2009 shortlist:
Michael Ballack (Germany), Gianluigi Buffon (Italy), Iker Casillas (Spain), Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal), Diego (Brazil), Didier Drogba (Ivory Coast), Michael Essien (Ghana), Samuel Eto'o (Cameroon), Steven Gerrard (England), Thierry Henry (France), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Sweden), Andres Iniesta (Spain), Kaka (Brazil), Frank Lampard (England), Luis Fabiano (Brazil), Lionel Messi (Argentina), Carles Puyol (Spain), Franck Ribery (France), Wayne Rooney (England), John Terry (England), Fernando Torres (Spain), David Villa (Spain), Xavi (Spain)
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