SHORTLIST 2009

55 players shortlisted for FIFPro World XI Player Awards

FIFPro (Federation Internationale des Associations de Footballers Professionnels), the worldwide representative organisation for all professional footballers, announced the 55 players shortlisted for the fifth FIFPro World XI Player Awards.

In November this year the 55,000 professional footballers belonging to the 44 professional organisations across the world that form FIFPro received voting forms in a secret ballot to nominate their peers for inclusion in their “World XI” - choosing the four defenders, three midfielders, three forwards and goalkeeper they most admire. 

It is striking that, out of the 55 nominees, almost all were playing in Italy, Spain and England last season. The English Premiership attracted the most nominees with twenty, followed by the Spanish Primera Division with eightteen and Italy’s Serie A with fifteen. The Bundesliga in Germany generated two nominees.

Champions League winner Barcelona heads the list for the most nominations with nine, Chelsea and Real Madrid have seven, Inter and Manchester United six, Juventus five, Liverpool four, Arsenal and Milan three, Bayern Munich two and there is one each from Roma, Sevilla and Valencia.

Spain leads the way with the most players in the short list with eleven, followed by eight from Brazil, seven from England and Italy, six Frenchmen, three from Argentina, two from Germany, Portugal and Ivory Coast, and Holland, Serbia, Wales, Russia, Sweden, Cameroon and Ghana each provide one player in the 55.

The 55 player shortlist in full is: (Home country/ Club):

Goalkeepers: Gianluigi Buffon (Italy/ Juventus), Iker Casillas (Spain/ Real Madrid), Julio Cesar (Brazil/ Inter), José Manuel Reina (Spain/ Liverpool), Edwin van der Sar (Holland/ Manchester United)

Defenders: Dani Alves (Brazil/ Barcelona), Fabio Cannavaro (Italy/ Juventus), Giorgio Chiellini (Italy/Juventus), Gaël Clichy (France/Arsenal), Ashley Cole (England/ Chelsea), Patrice Evra (France/Manchester United), Rio Ferdinand (England/ Manchester United), Fabio Grosso (Italy/Juventus), Glen Johnson (England/Liverpool), Philipp Lahm (Germany/ Bayern Munich), Ferreira Lucio (Brazil/ Inter), Maicon Douglas Sisenando (Brazil/Inter), Alessandro Nesta (Italy/ AC Milan), Képler Laveran Lima Ferreira ‘Pepe’ (Portugal/Real Madrid), Gerard Piqué (Spain/Barcelona), Carles Puyol (Spain/ Barcelona), Sergio Ramos (Spain/ Real Madrid), Walter Samuel (Argentina/Inter), John Terry (England/ Chelsea), Nemanja Vidic (Serbia/ Manchester United).

Midfielders: Xabi Alonso (Spain/Real Madrid), Michael Ballack (Germany/Chelsea), Daniele De Rossi (Italy/AS Roma), Diego Ribas da Cunha (Brazil/Juventus), Michael Essien (Ghana/Chelsea), Cesc Fabregas (Spain/Arsenal), Steven Gerrard (England/Liverpool), Ryan Giggs (Wales/Manchester United), Andrès Iniesta (Spain/Barcelona), Ricardo Kaká (Brazil/Real Madrid), Frank Lampard (England/Chelsea), Andrea Pirlo (Italy/AC Milan), Franck Ribéry (France/Bayern Munich), Yaya Touré (Ivory Coast/Barcelona), Xavi (Spain/Barcelona). 

Forwards: Nicolas Anelka (France/Chelsea), Andrei Arshavin (Russia/Arsenal), Karim Benzema (France/Real Madrid), Didier Drogba (Ivory Coast/Chelsea), Samuel Eto’o (Cameroon/Inter), Luís Fabiano Clemente (Brazil/Sevilla), Thierry Henry (France/Barcelona), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Sweden/Barcelona), Lionel Messi (Argentina/Barcelona), Diego Milito (Argentina/Inter), Alexandre Pato (Brazil/AC Milan), Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal/Real Madrid), Wayne Rooney (England/Manchester United), Fernando Torres (Spain/Liverpool), David Villa (Spain/Valencia). 

The final World XI will be announced at 21th December 2009.