Source: Daily_Mail
Barcelona's Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta and Xavi on Ballon d'Or final short list
Barcelona have the three best players in the world according to the FIFA Ballon d'Or shortlist: Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta and Xavi.[LNB]The Camp Nou idols have received most votes from coaches, players and journalists for the world player of the year award and the winner will be revealed in Zurich on January 10.[LNB]As well as helping Barca to the Spanish League title, midfielders Xavi and Iniesta also won the World Cup with Spain, while Messi had a relatively disappointing summer with Argentina by his stratospheric standards.[LNB] We're tops! Xavi, Messi and Iniesta are a force to be reckoned with at Barca[LNB][LNB]STAT'S INTERESTING... A single club never claimed the top three positionsin the FIFA World Player of the Year award. The last time it happened in the Ballon d'Or was in 1989, when AC Milan's Marco van Basten claimedthe crown, beating Franco Baresi and Frank Rijkaard. Van Basten also won a year earlier ahead of Milan and Holland team-mates Ruud Gullit andRijkaard.[LNB]However, Messi will be favourite to win the award that merges the FIFA World Player of the Year and the Ballon d'Or formerly known as the European Footballer of the Year.[LNB]The 23-year-old scored 34 goals in Barca's La Liga success last season and already has 15 to his name this season.[LNB]Inter Milan and Holland World Cup Wesley Sneijder is a surprise omission, while the Barclays Premier League players on the 23-man short list - Didier Drogba, Cesc Fabregas and Asamoah Gyan - also miss out.[LNB] Enlarge Enlarge Enlarge [LNB]Masterminds (from left): Coaches Mourinho, Del Bosque and Guardiola[LNB]FIFA general secretary Jerome Valcke said: 'Since 2008, Spanish football is really ahead of the rest. They are also dominating so much at club level.[LNB]'They are playing so well in their club. They are crushing world football at the moment. Barcelona's match against Madrid last week was a brilliant display of football.'[LNB]Jose Mourinho, who led Inter Milan to the Italian League and Cup as well as Champions League glory before leaving for Real Madrid, is in line to win coach of the year for the men's game.[LNB]But he faces competition from Pep Guardiola, who led Barcelona to a 5-0 win against Madrid last week, and Spain's World Cup-winning coach Vicente del Bosque is also a formidable opponent.[LNB] Perfect 10: Brazil star Marta (left) is tough to topple as the world's best[LNB]Premier League trio Carlo Ancelotti, Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger had been on the 10-man short list.[LNB]Kelly Smith, the only English player nominated among the world's best this year, will not pick up the women's world player of the year award after failing to make the final three. [LNB]Brazil forward Marta is expected to walk away with the distinction for the fifth year in a row, but faces competition from German duo Birgit Prinz and Fatmire Bajramaj.[LNB]Coach of the year for the women's game will be contested by Pia Sundhage (USA), Silvia Neid (Germany) and Maren Meinert (Germany Under 20s).[LNB]The FIFPro World XI will also be named at next month's gala, with 17 Premier League players on the 55-man short list.[LNB] 33 players nominated for Ballon d'Or, one is English...and she's a womanBale leads Premier League stars listed for place in World Team of the YearRead Matt Fortune's brilliant World Football Blog[LNB] Explore more:People: Marta, Kelly Smith, Andres Iniesta, Xavi, Pep Guardiola, Jose Mourinho, Lionel Messi, Alex Ferguson, Wesley Sneijder, Arsene Wenger, Didier Drogba, Cesc Fabregas, Carlo Ancelotti, Frank Rijkaard Places: Madrid, Barcelona, Milan, Spain, Brazil, Argentina, Germany, The Netherlands
