Ronaldo, Messi, Ribery Up for Ballon d’Or as FIFA Reveals Other Nominees (See Details).

The Federation of International Football Association (FIFA) have today (Monday) revealed the three candidates for the Fifa Ballon d’Or and Fifa Women’s World Player of the Year for 2013.

All the nominees were confirmed after a voting process which was open to the captains and head coaches of the men’s and women’s national teams of the 209 member associations as well as to international media representatives selected by FIFA and France Football voted for candidates.
All the awards will be presented at the FIFA Ballon d’Or award ceremony at the Kongresshaus in Zurich on 13 January 2014 during a televised show.

Fifa Ballon d’Or.

The trio vying to be named as the world’s best male footballer for 2013 are (in alphabetical order):
Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid and Portugal)
Franck Ribery (Bayern Munich and France) and
Lionel Messi (Barcelona and Argentina)
While the three female footballer gunning for the Fifa Women’s Player of the Year are (in alphabetical order)
Abby Wambach (USA)
Mata (Brazil) and
Nadine Angerer (Germany)
The candidates for the FIFA World Coach of the Year for Men’s Football and FIFA World Coach of the Year for Women’s Football awards were also announced. In alphabetical order, the contenders are:

FIFA World Coach of the Year for Men’s Football award:
Sir Alex Ferguson (Scotland/Manchester United FC former coach)
Jupp Heynckes (Germany/FC Bayern München former coach) and
Jürgen Klopp (Germany/Borussia Dortmund).

FIFA World Coach of the Year for Women’s Football award:
Ralf Kellermann (Germany/VfL Wolfsburg)
Silvia Neid (Germany/German national team) and
Pia Sundhage (Sweden/Swedish national team) for the.
In addition, Fifa announced three nominees for the Puskas Award- given to the “most beautiful goal of the year” according to the world governing body.
The contenders are:
Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Sweden vs. England in November 2012)
Nemanja Matic (benfica vs. Porto, Liga in January 2013)
Neymar (Brazil vs. Japan in June 2013)
Fifa also announced the 55-man shortlist for the team of the year, which will also be announced a the Ballon d’Or ceremony in January.
The five Goalkeepers nominated to be named in the FIFPRO World 11 2013 are:
Gianluigi Buffon (Italy, Juventus)
Iker Casillas (Spain, Real Madrid CF)
Petr Cech (Czech Republic, Chelsea FC)
Manuel Neuer (Germany, FC Bayern München)
Víctor Valdes (Spain, FC Barcelona).
The Twenty defenders shortlisted for FIFA FIFPro World 11 2013 are:
David Alaba (Bayern Munich and Austria); Jordi Alba (Barcelona and Spain); Dani Alves (Barcelona and Brazil); Leighton Baines (Everton and England); Jerome Boateng (Bayern Munich and England); Ashley Cole (Chelsea and England); Dante (Bayern Munich and Brazil); Mats Hummels (Borussia Dortmund and Germany); Branislav Ivanovic (Chelsea and Serbia); Vincent Kompany (Manchester City and Belgium); Philipp Lahm (Bayern Munich and Germany); David Luiz (Chelsea and Brazil); Marcelo (Real Madrid and Brazil); Pepe (Real Madrid and Portugal); Gerard Pique (Barcelona and Spain); Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid and Spain); Thiago Silva (Paris St-Germain and Brazil); Raphael Varane (Real Madrid and France); Nemanja Vidic (Manchester United and Serbia); Pablo Zabaleta (Manchester City and Argentina).
The 15 Midfielders shortlisted for FIFA FIFPro World 11 2013 are:

Image Credit: Fifa.com. 15 Midfielders Shortlisted for the FIFPRO World 11.

Xabi Alonso (Real Madrid and Spain); Gareth Bale (Tottenham Hotspur/Real Madrid and Wales); Sergio Busquets (Barcelona and Spain); Steven Gerrard (Liverpool and England); Andres Iniesta (Barcelona and Spain); Isco (Malaga/Real Madrid and Spain); Mesut Ozil (Real Madrid/Arsenal and Germany); Andrea Pirlo (Juventus and Italy); Marco Reus (Borussia Dortmund and Germany); Franck Ribery (Bayern Munich and France), Arjen Robben (Bayern Munich and Netherlands); Bastian Schweinsteiger (Bayern Munich and Germany); Yaya Toure (Manchester City and Ivory Coast); Arturo Vidal (Juventus and Chile); Xavi (Barcelona and Spain).

The 15 Forwards shortlisted for FIFA FIFPro World 11 2013 are:

Image Credit: Fifa.com. !5 Forwards Shortlisted for the FIFPRO World 11.

Sergio Aguero (Manchester City and Argentina); Mario Balotelli (Manchester City/AC Milan and Italy); Edinson Cavani (Napoli/Paris Saint-Germain and Uruguay); Diego Costa (Atletico Madrid and Spain); Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid and Portugal); Didier Drogba (Shanghai Shenhua/Galatasaray and Ivory Coast); Radamel Falcao (Atletico Madrid/Monaco and Colombia); Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Paris Saint-Germain and Sweden); Robert Lewandowski (Borussia Dortmund and Poland); Mario Mandzukic (Bayern Munich and Croatia); Lionel Messi (Barcelona and Argentina); Neymar (Santos/Barcelona and Brazil); Wayne Rooney (Manchester United and England); Luis Suarez (Liverpool and Uruguay); Robin van Persie (Manchester United and Netherlands).