FIFA Ballon d'Or awards candidates

The the list of candidates of the first-ever FIFA Ballon d'Or awards were released earlier today. For the new award FIFA have joined hands with France Football. The Ballon d'Or award was earlier on handed our by the French magazine, while FIFA had their own World Player of the Year award. Now these two have been merged into one and the first-ever FIFA Ballon d'Or awards will be handed out on January 10, 2011 in Zurich.

Last year Argentinian Lionel Messi had won the title, but it highly unlikely he will be able to defend it though it could go to one of his FC Barcelona team mates. In total seven Spanish World Cup winners are amongst the candidates, even five players from Germany made it. If you look club wise then FC Barcalona has the highest number of nominees with six followed by UEFA Champions League finalists International Milan and FC Bayern Munich with five.

Now national coaches and captains from around the world plus selected journalists can vote for their top candidates. The top three in each category would be announced at a press conference in Paris on December 6 ahead of the awards a month later.


The following 23 men (in alphabetical order) are in contention for the FIFA Ballon d'Or 2010

Xabi Alonso (Spain/Real Madrid), Daniel Alves (Brazil/FC Barcelona), Iker Casillas (Spain/Real Madrid), Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal/Real Madrid), Didier Drogba (Ivory Coast/FC Chelsea), Samuel Eto'o (Cameroon/Internationale Milan), Cesc Fabregas (Spain/FC Arsenal), Diego Forlan (Uruguay/Atletico Madrid), Asamoah Gyan (Ghana/FC Stade Rennes-AFC Sunderland), Andres Iniesta (Spain/FC Barcelona), Julio Cesar (Brazil/Internationale Milan), Miroslav Klose (Germany/FC Bayern Munich), Philipp Lahm (Germany/FC Bayern Munich), Maicon (Brazil/Internationale Milan), Lionel Messi (Argentina/FC Barcelona), Thomas Muller (Germany/FC Bayern Munich), Mesut Ozil (Germany/SV Werder Bremen-Real Madrid), Carlos Puyol (Spain/FC Barcelona), Arjen Robben (Netherlands/FC Bayern Munich), Bastian Schweinsteiger (Germany/FC Bayern Munich), Wesley Sneijder (Holland/Internationale Milan), David Villa (Spain/FC Valencia-FC Barcelona), Xavi Hernandez (Spain/FC Barcelona).


The following ten coaches (in alphabetical order) are in contention for the FIFA World Coach of the Year for Men's Football 2010

Carlo Ancelotti (Italy/FC Chelsea), Vicente del Bosque (Spain), Sir Alex Ferguson (Scotland/Manchester United), Pep Guardiola (Spain/FC Barcelona), Joachim Loew (Germany), Jose Mourinho (Portugal/Internationale Milan-Real Madrid), Oscar Tabarez (Uruguay), Louis Van Gaal (Netherlands/Bayern Munich), Bert van Marwijk (Netherlands), Arsene Wenger (France/FC Arsenal)


The following ten women (in alphabetical order) are in contention for the title of FIFA Women's World Player 2010

Camille Abily (France), Fatmire Bajramaj (Germany), So Yun Ji (Korea Republic), Marta (Brazil), Birgit Prinz (Germany), Caroline Seger (Sweden), Christine Sinclair (Canada), Kelly Smith (England), Hope Solo (USA) and Abby Wambach (USA).


The following ten coaches (in alphabetical order) are in contention for the FIFA World Coach of the Year for Women's Football 2010

Bruno Bini (France), In Cheul Choi (South Korea, South Korea Under-20), Maren Meinert (Germany Under-20), Albertin Montoya (USA/ FC Gold Pride), Silvia Neid (Germany), Hope Powell (England), Norio Sasaki (Japan), Bernd Schröder (Germany/FFC Turbine Potsdam), Pia Sundhage (Sweden/Team USA), Béatrice von Siebenthal (Switzerland)