• Ronaldo joined by team-mates Kaká, Benzema and
Casillas
• Premier League nominees include Terry, Gerrard, Giggs
Current world footballer of the year Cristiano
Ronaldo tops this year's list of Ballon d'Or nominees.
Cristiano
Ronaldo leads a list of 30 nominees for
this year's Ballon d'Or that does not include a single player from
the current world champions Italy.
Real Madrid's Ronaldo, 24, won the prestigious award last year
and will be one of the favourite for this year's title after his
stunning start to his career at the Bernabéu. The Portuguese
striker has scored nine goals in seven games since joining the
Spanish giants for a world record £80m from Manchester United in
the summer.
Ronaldo, who is currently sidelined by an ankle injury, headed
Madrid's significant summer spending which also saw them sign Kaká
and Karim Benzema – who were both also included in the list. There
was, however, no room for any Italy players. Goalkeeper Gianluigi
Buffon and Luca Toni were the Azzurri's only nominees last
year.
The European champions Spain are the best represented nation
with six players listed, while the Primera Liga boasts the most
players from a single league with 12. The Premier League
is next best with 10 players while Serie A has just four.
The Champions League and La Liga winners Barcelona top the list
in terms of club representation with six players – Zlatan
Ibrahimovic, Thierry Henry, Andrés Iniesta, Lionel Messi, Yaya
Touré and Xavi. Chelsea and Manchester United both had three
players selected on the list. The Blues' nominees are the England
captain John Terry,
Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba while United's selection affords
another accolade to the 35-year-old midfielder Ryan Giggs, as
well as Wayne
Rooney and Nemanja Vidic.
The Ballon d'Or is awarded to the world footballer of the year,
and is voted for by journalists and organised by France Football
magazine. The winner will be announced on 1 December.
Ballon d'Or nominees: Andrey Arshavin
(Arsenal), Karim Benzema (Real Madrid), Iker Casillas (Real
Madrid), Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid), Diego (Juventus), Didier
Drogba (Chelsea), Edin Dzeko (Wolfsburg), Samuel Eto'o
(Internazionale), Cesc Fàbregas (Arsenal), Fernando Torres
(Liverpool), Diego Forlán (Atletico Madrid), Steven Gerrard
(Liverpool), Ryan Giggs (Manchester United), Yoann Gourcuff
(Bordeaux), Thierry Henry (Barcelona), Zlatan Ibrahimovic
(Barcelona), Andrés Iniesta (Barcelona), Júlio César
(Internazionale), Kaká (Real Madrid), Frank Lampard (Chelsea),
Maicon (Internazionale), Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Luís Fabiano
(Seville), Franck Ribéry (Bayern Munich), Wayne Rooney (Manchester
United), John Terry (Chelsea), Nemanja Vidic (Manchester United),
David Villa (Valencia), Xavi (Barcelona), Yaya Touré
(Barcelona).
