• FIFA Player of the Year

Barcelona trio to contest FIFA World Player of the Year

ESPNsoccernet staff
December 6, 2010
Lionel Messi scored 45 goals in all competitions for Barcelona during the 2009/10 season © Getty Images
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Barcelona's creative triumvirate of Lionel Messi, Xavi Hernandez Creus and Andres Iniesta have been shortlisted for the FIFA Ballon d'Or award, with the winner to be crowned the world's best player of 2010.

The FIFA Ballon d'Or is a new award after the two major player prizes - the FIFA World Player of the Year, voted for by players and coaches, and the Ballon d'Or, which was handed out by journalists via France Football magazine - merged.

Messi picked up both awards last year and is the favourite to claim it again in Zurich on January 10 after another phenomenal 12 months. He netted 34 goals in Barca's 2009-10 La Liga success while he has started the new season in blistering scoring form claiming 22 goals in just 18 games - with 19 of those coming in his last 12 appearances.

The only blemish for the diminutive playmaker was a goalless World Cup for Argentina, as Diego Maradona's side exited at the quarter-final stage to Germany.

In contention to usurp Messi as the world's best player are his club team-mates Xavi and Iniesta. The midfielders have enjoyed a wonderful year at both domestic and international level, having triumphed in the Primera Division with Barca and the World Cup with Spain.

Barca's Pep Guardiola, Jose Mourinho, who won an unprecedented Serie A, Coppa Italia and Champions League treble with Inter Milan before switching to Real Madrid in the summer, and Spain's World Cup-winning coach Vicente del Bosque were shortlisted for the Coach of the Year award.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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