Dec
8
FIFA World Player of the Year Nominees
Filed Under General | Leave a Comment
A shortlist of five players was announced for the FIFA World Player of the Year award, the most prestigious honor a footballer can receive. This includes the European “Golden Ball” winner Lionel Messi, his Barcelona team-mates Xavi and Iniesta, as well as the Real Madrid duo of Christiano Ronaldo and Kaka.
All great players in their own right, and it looks like Messi might be the favorite again. Clearly, the critics see in him something that I don’t, but all three Barcelona nominees certainly contributed to bringing a lot of glory to their club in the past season. Everyone saw what Xavi and Iniesta did to Manchester United in last season’s Champions League final, and they will probably split the vote. Ronaldo and Kaka are certainly carrying in some credit from their games for their previous clubs—Man United and AC Milan, but they have not missed a step for Real Madrid either.
Perhaps the most interesting thing is that all nominees are from the Spanish La Liga. It has always had a form of monopoly over the competition in the past, but rarely has it achieved such a clean swoop. Some players from the Premiership may argue their omission, such as Torres and Drogba, but it seems like there is no room for clear out-and-out strikers this year.
The official ceremony will be held on the 21st of December, and the vote will be determined by the managers and captains of the different national teams.