FIFA on Thursday announced the finalists for the Ballon d’Or, given annually to the best player in the world.
Not so surprisingly, Barcelona’s Lionel Messi and Andres Iniesta, and Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo are up for the honour, which will be announced Jan. 7 in Zurich.
All three are world-class players, and you can make a strong case for each of them.
Messi, widely regarded as the best player on the planet, finished as the top scorer in La Liga this season, has scored 82 goals this calendar year, three short of the record set by former German great Gerd Mueller.
Like Messi, Iniesta is coming off a strong campaign for Barcelona, and was one of the best players at this summer’s Euro 2012 tournament where he helped Spain repeat as champions.
And Ronaldo bagged a bunch of goals for Real Madrid in helping los blancos win the Spanish league title.
It raises the question: Who do you think should win the Ballon d’Or?
Vote in our online poll and have your say by posting your comments below.
Who do you think should win the FIFA world player of the year award?
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