Ballon d'Or nominations

[Habib]

[Source]

Real Madrid's record signing Cristiano Ronaldo leads a list of 30 nominees for this year's Ballon d'Or that does not include a single player from current world champions Italy.

Ronaldo, 24, won the prestigious award last year and will be one of the favourites for this year's title after his stunning start to his career at the Bernabeu.

The Portuguese attacker has scored nine goals in seven games since joining the Spanish giants for a world record £80 million from Manchester United in the summer.

Ronaldo, who is currently sidelined by an ankle injury, headed Madrid's significant summer spending which also saw them sign Kaka and Karim Benzema - who were both also included in the list.

There was, however, no room for any players from world champions Italy. Goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon and Luca Toni were the Azzurri's only nominees last year.

European champions Spain are the best represented nation with six players listed, while the Primera Liga boasts the most players from a single league with 12. The Premier League is next best with 10 players while Serie A has just four.

Champions League and La Liga winners Barcelona top the list in terms of club representation with six players - Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Thierry Henry, Andres Iniesta, Lionel Messi, Yaya Toure and Xavi.

Chelsea and Manchester United both had three players selected on the list. The Blues' nominees are England captain John Terry, Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba while United's selection affords another accolade to 35-year-old midfielder Ryan Giggs, as well as Wayne Rooney and Nemanja Vidic.

The Ballon d'Or is an award handed out to the world footballer of the year. It is voted for by journalists and organised by France Football magazine. The winner will be announced on December 1.

Full list: Andrey Arshavin (Arsenal), Karim Benzema (Real Madrid), Iker Casillas (Real Madrid), Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid), Diego (Juventus), Didier Drogba (Chelsea), Edin Dzeko (Wolfsburg), Samuel Eto'o (Inter Milan), Cesc Fabregas (Arsenal), Fernando Torres (Liverpool), Diego Forlan (Atletico Madrid), Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Ryan Giggs (Manchester United), Yoann Gourcuff (Bordeaux), Thierry Henry (Barcelona), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Barcelona), Andres Iniesta (Barcelona), Julio Cesar (Inter Milan), Kaka (Real Madrid), Frank Lampard (Chelsea), Maicon (Inter Milan), Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Luis Fabiano (Seville), Franck Ribery (Bayern Munich), Wayne Rooney (Manchester United), John Terry (Chelsea), Nemanja Vidic (Manchester United), David Villa (Valencia), Xavi (Barcelona), Yaya Toure (Barcelona).

I'm so happy to see Edin Dzeko he is truly the light of Bosna i Hercegovina, he is already a national icon/hero! I wish him best in this, I don't care where he finishes I'm just happy he got nominated!

I think Cristiano Ronaldo will win it again.

[BalkanBaller]

Messi will get the price. He won the CL with Barca.

[Habib]

Originally Posted by BalkanBaller

Messi will get the price. He won the CL with Barca.

Probably, but It will be an interesting race to see who really gets it.

[awww walshy]

If Messi doesn't get it the Ballon d'Or will essentially be like the Oscars, a joke.

[Habib]

Originally Posted by awww walshy

If Messi doesn't get it the Ballon d'Or will essentially be like the Oscars, a joke.

Well Ballon d'Or was never considered a joke it was always giving to the footballer that deserved it the most.

[2K8]

Originally Posted by Habib

Well Ballon d'Or was never considered a joke it was always giving to the footballer that deserved it the most.

exactly therefore its Ronaldo.... The award shouldn't go to Messi just because his team won and hes a very good player on that team. He is not better than Ronaldo...

Its amazing the Ronaldo hate on this site, sorry but he is the best and will continue to be the best for the next 7 years.

Besides the correlation between winning Champions league and getting Ballon D'or is not that high. Cannavaro won it a few years back and Madrid did not win....

[Habib]

Originally Posted by 2K8

exactly therefore its Ronaldo.... The award shouldn't go to Messi just because his team won and hes a very good player on that team. He is not better than Ronaldo...

Its amazing the Ronaldo hate on this site, sorry but he is the best and will continue to be the best for the next 7 years.

Besides the correlation between winning Champions league and getting Ballon D'or is not that high. Cannavaro won it a few years back and Madrid did not win....

I agree, Ronaldo can do everything Messi does then Ronaldo can do things that Messi cannot but Ronaldo can do everything he does. And to know one thing what Messi cannot do is score a free-kick from 40 meters, hell he never even scored one from 30 meters.

[awww walshy]

Originally Posted by 2K8

exactly therefore its Ronaldo.... The award shouldn't go to Messi just because his team won and hes a very good player on that team. He is not better than Ronaldo...

Its amazing the Ronaldo hate on this site, sorry but he is the best and will continue to be the best for the next 7 years.

Besides the correlation between winning Champions league and getting Ballon D'or is not that high. Cannavaro won it a few years back and Madrid did not win....

Well I guess there are people who still think that Ronaldo is best. I guess you didn't watch a lot of La Liga games or even CL games with Barca. What Messi does for the team is more than what Ronaldo did for ManU. Messi's season was better, he outperformed Ronaldo on the big stage and all year. He deserves it more.

[Habib]

Originally Posted by awww walshy

Well I guess there are people who still think that Ronaldo is best. I guess you didn't watch a lot of La Liga games or even CL games with Barca. What Messi does for the team is more than what Ronaldo did for ManU. Messi's season was better, he outperformed Ronaldo on the big stage and all year. He deserves it more.

Yeah last year, but the year before that Ronaldo blowed out everyone in the World! And even right now in the La Liga Ronaldo is having a better start then Messi before he didn't get injured. Why did you ignore my post above?

[LamarMatic]

Messi deserves it the most, he definately will get it.