FIFA has announced the names of the FIFA World Player of the Year award nominees and the final decision will be made by the international captains and head coaches.
At the start of December, FIFA will reveal the top three who have received the most votes and the winners will be announced on January 12, 2009 at the 18th FIFA World Player Gala in Zurich.
All of the players listed are currently playing their football in Europe, with English Premier League-based players represented 10 of the 23 nominees.
Spain’s La Liga has 8 players nominated, while there are just 3 listed from Italy’s Serie A.
Six Spaniards are included in the list, giving the European champions a great chance of winning for the first time since the award's introduction in 1991.
Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo, who recently won the FIFPro World Footballer of the Year award, is the current favourite to win the prize.
Full list of nominees for the FIFA World Player of the Year award:
Emmanuel Adebayor (Togo), Sergio Agüero (Argentina), Andrei Arshavin (Russia), Michael Ballack (Germany), Gianluigi Buffon (Italy), Iker Casillas (Spain), Deco (Portugal), Didier Drogba (Côte d'Ivoire), Samuel Eto'o (Cameroon), Cesc Fabregas (Spain), Steven Gerrard (England), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Sweden), Andrés Iniesta (Spain), Kaká (Brazil), Frank Lampard (England), Lionel Messi (Argentina), Franck Ribéry (France), Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal), John Terry (England), Fernando Torres (Spain), Ruud van Nistelrooy (Netherlands), David Villa (Spain) and Xavi (Spain)
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At the start of December, FIFA will reveal the top three who have received the most votes and the winners will be announced on January 12, 2009 at the 18th FIFA World Player Gala in Zurich.
All of the players listed are currently playing their football in Europe, with English Premier League-based players represented 10 of the 23 nominees.
Spain’s La Liga has 8 players nominated, while there are just 3 listed from Italy’s Serie A.
Six Spaniards are included in the list, giving the European champions a great chance of winning for the first time since the award's introduction in 1991.
Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo, who recently won the FIFPro World Footballer of the Year award, is the current favourite to win the prize.
Full list of nominees for the FIFA World Player of the Year award:
Emmanuel Adebayor (Togo), Sergio Agüero (Argentina), Andrei Arshavin (Russia), Michael Ballack (Germany), Gianluigi Buffon (Italy), Iker Casillas (Spain), Deco (Portugal), Didier Drogba (Côte d'Ivoire), Samuel Eto'o (Cameroon), Cesc Fabregas (Spain), Steven Gerrard (England), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Sweden), Andrés Iniesta (Spain), Kaká (Brazil), Frank Lampard (England), Lionel Messi (Argentina), Franck Ribéry (France), Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal), John Terry (England), Fernando Torres (Spain), Ruud van Nistelrooy (Netherlands), David Villa (Spain) and Xavi (Spain)
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