FIFA Ballon d'Or

[Sachin=GOD]

The full shortlists for the FIFA Ballon d'Or Gala 2010 are:

FIFA Ballon d'Or 2010 Xabi Alonso (Spain), Daniel Alves (Brazil), Iker Casillas (Spain), Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal), Didier Drogba (Ivory Coast), Samuel Eto'o (Cameroon), Cesc Fàbregas (Spain), Diego Forlán (Uruguay), Asamoah Gyan (Ghana), Andrés Iniesta (Spain), Júlio César (Brazil), Miroslav Klose (Germany), Philipp Lahm (Germany), Maicon (Brazil), Lionel Messi (Argentina), Thomas Müller (Germany), Mesut Özil (Germany), Carles Puyol (Spain), Arjen Robben (Netherlands), Bastian Schweinsteiger (Germany), Wesley Sneijder (Netherlands), David Villa (Spain), Xavi Hernández (Spain).

FIFA World Coach of the Year for Men's Football 2010 Carlo Ancelotti (Chelsea FC), Vicente del Bosque (Spain), Sir Alex Ferguson (Manchester United FC), Josep Guardiola (FC Barcelona), Joachim Löw (Germany), José Mourinho (FC Internazionale Milano/Real Madrid CF), Oscar Tabárez (Uruguay), Louis van Gaal (FC Bayern München), Bert van Marwijk (Netherlands), Arsène Wenger (Arsenal FC).

Final shortlist of 3: Xavi, Iniesta and Messi for the Ballon d'Or 2010. Vicente del Bosque, Pep Guardiola and José Mourinho for FIFA World Coach of the Year for Men's Football 2010. http://www.fifa.com/ballondor/media/newsid=1346940/index.html?cid=rssfeed&att=

[Sachin=GOD]

Iniesta is on the shortlist only because of the World Cup Final and that is very unfair because last season he scored ONLY 1 goal for Barca and he was hampered by injuries and even when he was not there, Barca were able to win comfortably. IMO Messi and Xavi were much more important for Barca as compared to Iniesta and these two deserve a place and I think Messi will win it. Sneijder should be in the top 3 instead of Iniesta IMO. He had the best overall year, helping his club Inter to win The Treble and leading his nation Netherlands to the World Cup final where he won both the Bronze Boot and Silver Ball too.

Dutchman points to the trophies he won last season Inter midfielder Wesley Sneijder is bewildered at rumours suggesting he will miss out on a top-three spot to win the Ballon d'Or. According to a report in La Gazzetta dello Sport, Barcelona midfielder Andres Iniesta will secure the trophy on January 10, with club-mates Xavi and Lionel Messi occupying the remaining two podium spots. But the Dutchman insists he should be recognised for the accolades he won at Inter last season and believes players from less successful nations such as Gareth Bale may never be in with a chance of winning the trophy "I've heard that I'll miss out on a podium spot, but this seems kind of strange to me. How would that be possible bearing in mind that I've won Serie A, the Coppa Italia and the Champions League," said Sneijder to De Telegraaf. "Additionally, I finished runner-up at the 2010 World Cup, was joint-top scorer in South Africa and I can still win the Club World Cup. "It looks like it's all about the World Cup if the report is true. That would mean that someone like Gareth Bale will never win the Ballon D'Or though. "I'm still hopeful of winning the trophy, but I expect to win at least a podium spot following my performances this term."

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/3276/serie-a/2010/12/06/2247888/inter-playmaker-wesley-sneijder-expects-to-make-ballon-dor

[Bradman99]

I agree Sneijder should be there ahead of Iniesta. He may even of had a case for winning it. Messi should get it.

[hari504504]

hahaha.. It's going to be Messi and Guardiola FTW !..couldn't be an easier decision than this..

[Sachin=GOD]

Lionel Messi wins Fifa Ballon d'Or award

Argentina and Barcelona forward Lionel Messi has won the inaugural Fifa Ballon d'Or award at a ceremony in Zurich. Messi, 23, won the prize - a merger of the Fifa Player of the Year prize and Ballon d'Or - ahead of his Barca team-mates Andres Iniesta and Xavi. "I'm surprised to win but pleased to be here with my friends," said Messi, who won the two separate awards last year. Jose Mourinho, who won an unprecedented Treble with Inter Milan in 2010, was named the Coach of the Year. Messi added: "To win it makes it even more special. I want to share it with all of my friends, my family, all the Barcelonistas and the Argentinians." Hamit Altintop won the Puskas Award for Goal of the Year for his wonder volley when Turkey played Kazakhstan, Brazilian striker Marta won the Women's Player of the Year for a fifth consecutive time and Germany's Silvia Neid won the Women's Coach of the Year. The last player to win the Ballon d'Or award twice in a row was Dutch striker Marco van Basten in 1988 and 1989, while Messi's former Barca colleague Ronaldinho won the Fifa prize in 2004 and 2005. Many thought Iniesta, who scored the winning goal as Spain beat Netherlands 1-0 in the World Cup final in Johannesburg in July, and Xavi, who was the lynchpin of the Spanish side, were favourites to win at a glittering ceremony in Switzerland. But Messi scored a remarkable 60 goals for club and country in 2010 and is widely regarded as the most gifted footballer of his generation. The only Spanish winner of either prize was Luis Suarez who won the Ballon D'Or in 1960. The coaching prize is the latest accolade in a glittering career for Mourinho, who has won league titles in Portugal, England and Italy. "The most important things for me are the collective titles, not the individual ones," said Mourinho, who left Inter to join Real Madrid in the summer. The Ballon d'Or is awarded based on votes cast by journalists from around the world, as well as coaches and captains of national teams.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/9356019.stm

[b555]

cant complain about mourinho awesome year he has had Serie A, the Champions League and Coppa Italia with Inter Milan in the 2009-10 season amazing guy really