Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi were among the 23 players on a shortlist announced yesterday for FIFA's World Player of the Year award.
Ronaldo's goals helped Manchester United win the English Premier League and the Champions League last season, while Messi inspired Argentina to win the Olympic gold medal. Ronaldo finished third in voting last year, while Barcelona's Messi was runner-up to AC Milan's Brazil forward Kaka.
Six members of Spain's European Championship-winning team -- Iker Casillas, Cesc Fabregas, Andres Iniesta, Fernando Torres, David Villa and Xavi Hernandez -- are also chasing the game's most prized individual award.
Kaka is back in contention, as are three strikers from African nations: Emmanuel Adebayor from Togo, Didier Drogba of the Ivory Coast, and Cameroon's Samuel Eto'o, who was third in 2005.
Ten women were on FIFA's shortlist for top female player, including Brazil's Marta, Birgit Prinz of Germany and American duo Hope Solo and Shannon Boxx.
The candidate lists were drawn up by a team of experts assembled by FIFA, football's world governing body.
Voting is done by head coaches and captains of men's and women's national teams.
Three finalists in each contest will be named in December, before the winners are announced at a gala event on Jan. 12 at the Zurich Opera House.
Nominations for FIFA World Player 2008: Emmanuel Adebayor (Togo), Sergio Aguero (Argentina), Andrei Arshavin (Russia), Michael Ballack (Germany), Gianluigi Buffon (Italy), Iker Casillas (Spain), Deco (Portugal), Didier Drogba (Ivory Coast), Samuel Eto'o (Cameroon), Cesc Fabregas (Spain), Steven Gerrard (England), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Sweden), Andres Iniesta (Spain), Kaka (Brazil), Frank Lampard (England), Lionel Messi (Argentina), Franck Ribery (France), Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal), John Terry (England), Fernando Torres (Spain), Ruud van Nistelrooy (Netherlands), David Villa (Spain), Xavi Hernandez (Spain).
Nominations for FIFA Women's World Player 2008: Nadine Angerer (Germany), Shannon Boxx (United States), Cristiane (Brazil), Daniela (Brazil), Marta (Brazil), Birgit Prinz (Germany), Christine Sinclair (Canada), Kelly Smith (England), Hope Solo (United States), Ingvild Stensland (Norway).
(Agencies via Shanghai Daily October 30, 2008)