Ronaldo: Fifa favourite
Fifa have announced a 23-man list of candidates for the World Player of the Year award.
Manchester United winger Cristiano Ronaldo, fresh from picking up the top gong in the FifPro awards, is the favourite to take the title.
Liverpool striker Fernando Torres and Real Madrid keeper Iker Casillas are also among the front-runners as the pair have been short-listed after their success with Spain at Euro 2008.
2007 winner Kaka is also in the hunt, as is Barcelona’s Argentine superstar Lionel Messi.
The winner, voted for by national captains and coaches, will be unveiled at a star-studded ceremony at Zurich’s opera theatre on 12th January.
Fifa World Player of the Year nominees:
Emmanuel Adebayor (Arsenal, Togo), Sergio Aguero (Atletico Madrid, Argentina), Andrei Arshavin (Zenit St Petersburg, Russia), Michael Ballack (Chelsea, Germany), Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus, Italy), Iker Casillas (Real Madrid, Spain), Deco (Barcelona, Portugal), Didier Drogba (Chelsea, Ivory Coast), Samuel Eto’o (Barcelona, Cameroon), Cesc Fabregas (Arsenal, Spain), Steven Gerrard (Liverpool, England), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Inter Milan, Sweden), Andres Iniesta (Barcelona, Spain), Kaka (AC Milan, Brazil), Frank Lampard (Chelsea, England), Lionel Messi (Barcelona, Argentina), Franck Ribery (Bayern Munich, France), Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United, Portugal), John Terry (Chelsea, England), Fernando Torres (Liverpool, Spain), Ruud van Nistelrooy (Real Madrid, Holland), David Villa (Valencia, Spain) and Xavi (Barcelona, Spain).
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