The shortlist for the 2008 Ballon d’Or award has been announced earlier today. Barcelona players Lionel Messi, Xavi and Samuel Eto'o are amongst the 30 candidates to win the trophy.
The winner will be selected on 2 December
The winner will be selected on 2 December
when 96 journalists from around the world cast their vote in a poll organised by French football magazine France Football.
Messi finished third last year, behind winner Kaka and Cristaino Ronaldo. Ronaldinho was the last Barcelona player to win the trophy in 2005.
Messi finished third last year, behind winner Kaka and Cristaino Ronaldo. Ronaldinho was the last Barcelona player to win the trophy in 2005.
Before, the Ballon d'Or was won by Barcelona players Luis Suárez (1960), Johan Cruyff (1973 and 1974), Hristo Stoichkov (1994) and Rivaldo (1999).
This is the 2008 shortlist:
Emmanuel Adebayor (Arsenal, Togo)
Sergio Agüero (Atletico Madrid, Argentina)
Andreï Arshavin (Zenit Saint-Petersburg, Russia)
Michael Ballack (Chelsea, Germany)
Karim Benzema (Lyon, France)
Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus, Italy)
Iker Casillas (Real Madrid, Spain)
Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United, Portugal)
Didier Drogba (Chelsea, Ivory Coast)
Samuel Eto'o (Barcelona, Cameroon)
Cesc Fabregas (Arsenal, Spain)
Fernando Torres (Liverpool, Spain)
Steven Gerrard (Liverpool, England)
Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Inter Milan, Sweden)
Kaka (AC Milan, Brazil)
Frank Lampard (Chelsea, England)
Lionel Messi (Barcelona, Argentina)
Pepe (Real Madrid, Portugal)
Franck Ribéry (Bayern Munich, France)
Wayne Rooney (Manchester United, England)
Marcos Senna (Villarreal, Spain)
Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid, Spain)
Luca Toni (Bayern Munich, Italy)
Edwin van der Sar (Manchester United, Netherlands)
Rafael van der Vaart (Hamburg then Real Madrid, Netherlands)
Ruud van Nistelrooy (Real Madrid, Netherlands)
Nemanja Vidic (Manchester United, Serbia)
David Villa (Valencia, Spain)
Xavi (Barcelona, Spain)
Youri Zhirkov (CSKA Moscow, Russia)
This is the 2008 shortlist:
Emmanuel Adebayor (Arsenal, Togo)
Sergio Agüero (Atletico Madrid, Argentina)
Andreï Arshavin (Zenit Saint-Petersburg, Russia)
Michael Ballack (Chelsea, Germany)
Karim Benzema (Lyon, France)
Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus, Italy)
Iker Casillas (Real Madrid, Spain)
Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United, Portugal)
Didier Drogba (Chelsea, Ivory Coast)
Samuel Eto'o (Barcelona, Cameroon)
Cesc Fabregas (Arsenal, Spain)
Fernando Torres (Liverpool, Spain)
Steven Gerrard (Liverpool, England)
Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Inter Milan, Sweden)
Kaka (AC Milan, Brazil)
Frank Lampard (Chelsea, England)
Lionel Messi (Barcelona, Argentina)
Pepe (Real Madrid, Portugal)
Franck Ribéry (Bayern Munich, France)
Wayne Rooney (Manchester United, England)
Marcos Senna (Villarreal, Spain)
Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid, Spain)
Luca Toni (Bayern Munich, Italy)
Edwin van der Sar (Manchester United, Netherlands)
Rafael van der Vaart (Hamburg then Real Madrid, Netherlands)
Ruud van Nistelrooy (Real Madrid, Netherlands)
Nemanja Vidic (Manchester United, Serbia)
David Villa (Valencia, Spain)
Xavi (Barcelona, Spain)
Youri Zhirkov (CSKA Moscow, Russia)
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