FIFA have just revealed their 23-man shortlist for the most prestigious individual award in world football, the Ballon d’Or, and it is perhaps no surprise that the list is once again dominated by La Liga.
Barcelona & Real Madrid dominate the Ballon d'Or shortlist
Of the 23-players selected, thirteen currently ply their trade in Spain, making-up over a massive 50% of the list thus indicating that La Liga is indeed the current home of the world class – as mentioned weeks ago here on footballmundial. For all its popularity and hype, the self-proclaimed ‘best league in the world’ – the English Premier League, supplies just four nominations – with one of those playing half of 2011 in La Liga (Sergio Aguero), although the same can be said of Cesc Fabregas who went in the opposite direction. The exclusion from the list of Manchester City’s mercurial playmaker David Silva is mystifying however.
Languishing once again is Italy’s Serie A as the one time ‘most glamorous league in the world’ supply just two players. Whilst one of those also played half the year in La Liga (Diego Forlan), Samuel Eto’o makes the shortlist surely from his time spent at Inter Milan, meaning all interests on the list from Serie A have been supplied by the Nerazzurri. There was no place for any members of Serie A champions AC Milan.
By League: La Liga (13), Premier League (4), Serie A (2), Budesliga (2), Brazilian Serie A (1), Russian Premier League (1)
Speaking of clubs, once again Barcelona provide the bulk of players with a massive eight (imagine those poor three remaining members of the team not chosen!) whilst hated rivals Real Madrid supply five, which will do no favours for those proclaiming La Liga is just a two-team league.
Sorry Puyol, not this time.
Only seven other clubs (technically six, with Eto’o’s Inter link) are represented from the 23-players with Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool, Inter, Bayern Munich and Santos all proud suppliers.
By club: Barcelona (8), Real Madrid (5), Bayern Munich (2), Inter Milan (2), Manchester United (2), Anzhi Makhachkala (1), Liverpool (1), Manchester City (1), Santos (1).
There are no surprises in the fact that attack minded players, whether deemed unfair or not, are the preferred choice when it comes to nomination, and indeed selection, for the award. Historically won by forwards, fantasisti (number-10’s), or wingers, this year’s choices are no different with only one goalkeeper and three defenders shortlisted. There’s five fantasisti represented (much to footballmundial’s ‘fantasista five’ feature delight!) – including the favourite for the award, but leading the way are the forwards with eight members from the goalscoring fraternity.
It’s also no surprise that current European and World Champions Spain lead the way as the nation supplying the most candidates for the award (7), whilst Uruguay’s exploits in deservedly winning the summer’s Copa America tournament, as well as providing the player of the tournament (Luis Suarez), supply two players.
Goal-twins for Uruguay: Luis Suarez & Diego Forlan
Germany can take pride in having three of its midfield maestros nominated whilst Portugal’s two wing-wizards also make the list. Brazil’s latest ‘bright young thing’, teenage sensation Neymar, also stakes his claim to what could be the first of many awards in a career tipped for stardom.
Worryingly for Italy, no Italian’s were deemed worthy of the shortlist. Serie A capocannoniere, Udinese’s Antonio Di Natale was in the initial 50-man selection, but failed to make the final cut.
Things were not much better for England and Holland with only one member each deemed worthy of making the cut – number-10’s Rooney and Sneijder. Just one African player has also been nominated, as a golden period for the Continent seemingly draws to an end.
By nationality: Spain (7), Germany (3), Argentina (2), Brazil (2), France (2), Portugal (2), Uruguay (2), Cameroon (1), England (1), Holland (1).
2009 & 2010 winner. Will Messi claim his hat-trick?
The winner of the award will be named at the start of January and will be chosen based on votes by coaches and captains of international teams, as well as journalists from around the world. Argentine genius Lionel Messi is once again the outstanding forerunner and is an amazing 1/7 favourite to win the Ballon d’Or for the third year running.
Full 23-man shortlist: Eric Abidal (France), Dani Alves (Brazil), Cesc Fábregas (Spain), Andrés Iniesta (Spain), Lionel Messi (Argentina), Gerard Piqué (Spain), David Villa (Spain), Xavi (Spain), Karim Benzema (France), Iker Casillas (Spain), Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal), Mesut Ozil (Germany), Xabi Alonso (Spain), Sergio Agüero (Argentina), Nani (Portugal) , Wayne Rooney (England), Luis Suárez (Uruguay), Samuel Eto’o (Cameroon), Diego Forlán (Uruguay), Wesley Sneijder (Holland), Thomas Müller (Germany), Bastian Schweinsteiger (Germany), Neymar (Brazil).
