Spanish World Cup winners dominate Fifa award shortlist

[Rappy Veteran]

Seven of Spain's World Cup winning-squad have been shortlisted for Fifa's Ballon d'Or award.

Andres Iniesta, who scored the winning goal in the final, is nominated along with Barcelona team-mates Xavi, Carles Puyol and David Villa.

Real Madrid's Iker Casillas and Xabi Alonso are also listed.

Cesc Fabregas of Spain and Arsenal is nominated, along with Chelsea's Didier Drogba and Asamoah Gyan of Sunderland, but there are no English nominees.

The award was previously only for players in Europe but has now merged with Fifa's World Player of the year award into one ultimate honour.

No English players are in contention, although Real Madrid's former Manchester United midfielder Cristiano Ronaldo is on the list, as are his Madrid team-mate Mesut Ozil and reigning European and world player of the year Lionel Messi of Argentina and Barcelona.

Four members of the Inter Milan side who won last year's Italian League and Cup and the Champions League are on the list - Samuel Eto'o, Julio Cesar, Maicon and Wesley Sneijder.

And Jose Mourinho, the coach who led the Italian outfit to that Treble success, joins Carlo Ancelotti of Chelsea, Manchester United's Sir Alex Ferguson of and Arsene Wenger of Arsenal on the shortlist for the inaugural world coach of the year award.

England striker Kelly Smith and coach Hope Powell are nominated in the women's categories.

The final decisions will be made by the captains and head coaches of the national teams as well as by international media representatives selected by France Football magazine.

The winners will be revealed in Zurich on 10 January.

World Player of the Year nominees: Xabi Alonso (Spain), Daniel Alves (Brazil), Iker Casillas (Spain), Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal), Didier Drogba (Ivory Coast), Samuel Eto'o (Cameroon), Cesc Fabregas (Spain), Diego Forlan (Uruguay), Asamoah Gyan (Ghana), Andres Iniesta (Spain), Julio Cesar (Brazil), Miroslav Klose (Germany), Philipp Lahm (Germany), Maicon (Brazil), Lionel Messi (Argentina), Thomas Muller (Germany), Mesut Ozil (Germany), Carles Puyol (Spain), Arjen Robben (Holland), Bastian Schweinsteiger (Germany), Wesley Sneijder (Holland), David Villa (Spain) and Xavi (Spain).

World coach of the year nominees: Carlo Ancelotti (Chelsea), Vicente del Bosque (Spain), Sir Alex Ferguson (Manchester United), Pep Guardiola (FC Barcelona), Joachim Loew (Germany), Jose Mourinho (Inter Milan/Real Madrid), Oscar Tabarez (Uruguay), Louis Van Gaal (Bayern Munich), Bert van Marwijk (Holland) and Arsene Wenger (Arsenal).