The three remaining contenders for this year's FIFA World Player
title are Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal), Kaka (Brazil) and Lionel
Messi (Argentina), whereas Brazilian duo Cristiane and Marta will
contest the FIFA Women's World Player award with Germany's Birgit
Prinz.
These two trios (each listed in alphabetical order) can now be
confirmed after a poll of the coaches and captains of men's and
women's national teams around the world, who cast their votes on
the basis of two lists of candidates drawn up by FIFA - comprising
30 players for the men's award and 26 for the women's.
While Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka, Messi and Cristiane will all be
looking to claim a FIFA World Player crown at their first attempt,
Marta (2006) and Birgit Prinz (2003, 2004, 2005) are familiar faces
who have already won the prestigious award.
The identities of the winners of the gold, silver and bronze awards
will be revealed on Monday, 17 December, when the FIFA World Player
Gala is held at Zurich's world-famous opera house for the fourth
consecutive year.
In addition to the customary FIFA Presidential Award and FIFA Fair
Play Award, the 17th FIFA World Player Gala will also honour the
best players of the FIFA U-17 World Cup Korea 2007 (Germany's Toni
Kroos), the FIFA U-20 World Cup Canada 2007 (Argentina's Sergio
Agüero) and the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup Rio de Janeiro 2007
(Brazil's Buru).