The contenders for this year’s FIFA Ballon d’Or award for the best player of 2013 and for the FIFA Women’s World Player of the Year 2013 award were announced today on FIFA.com, francefootball.fr and YouTube.
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WHO HAVE WON THE FIFA BALLON D’OR IN THE PAST?
The new version of the prize started in 2010 after France Football’s Ballon d’Or and the men’s Fifa World Player of the Year award
were merged.The winner of the inaugural 2010 Fifa Ballon d’Or was
Lionel Messi, who has since emerged victorious two more times.
| YEAR | WINNER | SECOND | THIRD | |||
| 2010 |  |
Lionel Messi |  |
Andres Iniesta | |
Xavi |
| 2011 | |
Lionel Messi |  |
Cristiano Ronaldo | |
Xavi |
| 2012 | |
Lionel Messi | |
Cristiano Ronaldo | |
Andres Iniesta |
The FIFA World Player Gala has been
inexistence since 1991. During the last decade, it has undergone some
significant changes, not least of which took place in 2010, when it
merged with France Football’s Ballon d’Or award to form the new ‘FIFA Ballon d’Or’.
FIFA.com looks at what lies in store for attendees at the upcoming FIFA Ballon d’Or Gala.
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Event: FIFA Ballon d’Or
Venue: Kongresshaus, Zurich (Switzerland)
Date: 13 January 2014
Time: 16:00 GMT
The list of awards to be given out:
FIFA Ballon d’Or (Best Player of the year)
Women’s World Player of the Year
Men’s Coach of the Year
Women’s Coach of the Year
Fair Play Award
Puskas Award (Goal of the year)
FIFPro World XI (best team of the year)
Presidential Award
Good to know:
Lists for Women’s Player of the Year and for Coach of the Year for women’s football are disclosed on 25 October, whereas shortlists for FIFA Ballon d’Or and Coach of the Year for men’s football are disclosed on 29 October.
Lists for Women’s Player of the Year and for Coach of the Year for women’s football are disclosed on 25 October, whereas shortlists for FIFA Ballon d’Or and Coach of the Year for men’s football are disclosed on 29 October.
From the original ten names shortlisted for the FIFA Puskas award, a shortlist made of the three most popular goals based on FIFA.com users’ votes will be presented in early December with all the other shortlists.
The 55 players nominated for the
FIFA/FIFpro World XI will be announced position-by-position –
goalkeepers, defenders, midfielders and forwards – with the final list
announced with the other shortlists in early December.
In alphabetical order,
the FIFA Ballon d’Or nominees are: Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal), Lionel
Messi (Argentina) and Franck Ribéry (France), while Nadine Angerer
(Germany), Marta (Brazil) and Abby Wambach (USA) will contest the
women’s award.
Argentina and Barcelona forward Messi has
won the award for the world’s best player in each of the last four
years, while Portugal and Real Madrid forward Ronaldo won the award in 2008.
France forward Ribéry has had a sparkling year for treble-winners Bayern Munich.
Gareth Bale did not make the cut from the
23-man longlist despite scoring 26 goals for Tottenham Hotspur last
season before becoming the world’s most expensive player when he joined
Real for £85 million in September.
The winner will be revealed at the Fifa Ballon d’Or gala in Zurich on Jan 13, 2014.
Fifa Ballon d’Or: Cristiano Ronaldo closes in on award ahead of Franck Ribery and Lionel Messi after voting is extended.
WHAT HAVE THE THREE CANDIDATES ACHIEVED?
Ribery was arguably the most successful
of the three as he guided Bayern Munich to a historic treble in 2013,
only to then go on and win the European Supercup and help France qualify
for next year’s World Cup.
Ronaldo endured a rare trophyless season,
but that didn’t stop the Portugal international from shining
individually as he banged in the goals in all competitions, helping
Portugal to the World Cup with a sensational hat-trick against Sweden.
Messi enjoyed yet another impressive
season with Barcelona as his goals helped the Catalans to the Liga title
and the Spanish Supercup. The Argentine might have missed the last few
months of the year due to injury, but had a fine 2013 nonetheless.
The award is given annually to the best
player of the season based on votes by coaches, captains of
international football teams, and even journalists from all over the
world. It seems like everyone has their own favourite.
Some reports claim that Messi is way
ahead of Ronaldo, while others claim that the 28-year-old from Real
Madrid is in the driver’s seat.
Ballon D’Or: Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi, Results Reportedly Leaked to a Spanish News Agency
According to a Spanish news agency, Agencia News, Messi will scoop the 2013 Ballon D’Or Award again. It
was the same news agency that has announced the contenders for the
award in 2012 even before it was officially revealed. Now, there are
notions that the Ballon D’Or results were leaked and given away.
If Messi is to win the said award,
Ronaldo fans wouldn’t be so delighted to find out, that’s for sure,
since it was no secret that the Real Madrid star did well in the last
season and even led his country to the World Cup after his amazing
performance during the play-offs.
Furthermore, if Messi indeed bring home
the crown, it will bring up questions as to how the player that will
receive that award is really chosen. There is no question that Messi is
one of the greatest players in the history of football. However,
shouldn’t the “Golden Ball” be given to the player with the most
extraordinary and amazing -performance during the 2012-2013 season?
