By David Gold
November 1 – Lionel Messi is in line to win his third successive FIFA Ballon d’Or award after being named on a 23 man shortlist for the prize, along with seven of his Barcelona team mates.
Andrés Iniesta and Xavi, who came second and third last year in the awards, are also nominated, as are Gerard Pique, David Villa, Cesc Fabregas, Dani Alves and Eric Abidal, with the latter having recovered from a brief battle with cancer to remarkably play in the Champions League final against Manchester United.
Messi will be the favourite to take the award once more after his scintillating display in the same game to help Barcelona lift the European title, but perhaps even more for scoring two sensational late goals to beat Real Madrid in the tightly contested first leg of their semi-final .
Barcelona also retained La Liga for the third year running to continue their dominance of the domestic game.
Among those hoping to wrest the title from Messi will be team mates Iniesta, Xavi and Villa, and Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo, who has scored an astonishing 33 goals in 28 games this calendar year.
Uruguayan pair Luis Suarez (pictured) and Diego Forlan could also be in contention for the prize after they were integral to their country’s Copa America victory in July, with the Liverpool striker taking the best player of the tournament award.
Santos’ Brazilian forward Neymar is also in the running after helping his side to win the Copa Libertadores.
The other nominations are Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero, Real Madrid stars Karim Benzema, Iker Casillas, Mesut Ozil and Xabi Alonso, Inter Milan’s Wesley Sneijder, Manchester United pair Nani and Wayne Rooney, Bayern Munich’s Bastian Schweinsteiger and Thomas Mueller, and the Anzhi Makhachkala forward Samuel Eto’o.
In the FIFA Ballon d’Or coach of the year award, Uruguay coach Óscar Tabárez, widely credited for his tactical nous during the Copa America and led his country to fourth in the world rankings, could rival Barcelona’s Pep Guardiola for the prize.
André Villas Boas could also go close after guiding his former team Porto to the domestic league and cup without losing a match, as well as lifting the Europa League with the side.
Jurgen Klopp and Rudi Garcia are also nominated after leading their Borussia Dortmund and Lille sides to impressive title victories in their domestic leagues.
Completing the nominations are Spain coach Vicente del Bosque, Manchester United’s Sir Alex Ferguson, Germany’s Joachim Low, Arsenal’s Arsene Wenger and Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho.
Winners of the awards will be announced at the FIFA Ballon d’Or gala in Zurich on January 9, along with the Puskas award for the year’s best goal, the FIFA Presidential Award, the FIFA Fair Play Award and the FIFA/FIFPro World XI.
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