candidato

Xavi, Iniesta, Casillas, Fabregas, Villa and Fernando Torres are nominated by the Spanish L-Equipe.

Xavi, Iniesta, Casillas, Fabregas, Villa and Fernando Torres are among the 30 candidates to win the Golden Ball as the list published by the French newspaper L-Equipe delivering the award. A priori, Messi is the favorite to succeed Cristiano Ronaldo as the best footballer in the world of 2009.

Spain has been rewarded his great run of form and is the country with Candidates with more players a total of six, ahead of Brazil, which has five, and England and France, with four players each.

For teams, the Barcelona is the most recognized with six players choosing the Ballon d'Or Messi is Barca's main asset ahead of Xavi, Iniesta, Henry, Ibrahimovic and Yaya Toure. Real Madrid is next with four candidates, the reigning Footballer of the Year Cristiano Ronaldo, along with Casillas, Benzema and Kaka.

; As for national competitions, is the Spanish league which has more than thirteen representatives, ahead of the Premier League (10), Calcium (4), Bundesliga (2) and Championship (1). Six Barca and Real Madrid join the four three strikers of international attention, Villa (Valencia), Luis Fabiano (Sevilla) and Diego Forlan (Atletico Madrid), current Golden Boot

- List of nominees: Andrei Arshavin (Russia, Arsenal) Karim Benzema (France, Lyon then Real Madrid) Iker Casillas (Spain, Real Madrid) Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal, Manchester United after Real Madrid) Diego (Brazil, Werder Bremen after Juventus) Didier Drogba (Ivory Coast, Chelsea) Edin Dzeko (Bosnia, Wolfsburg) Samuel Eto'o (Cameroon / Barcelona then Inter Milan), Cesc Fabregas (Spain, Arsenal) Fernando Torres (Spain, Liverpool) Diego Forlan (Uruguay, Atletico Madrid) Steven Gerrard (England, Liverpool) Ryan Giggs (Wales, Manchester United) Yoann Gourcuff (France, Bordeaux), Thierry Henry (France, Barcelona), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Sweden, Inter Milan then Barcelona) Iniesta (Spain, Barcelona), Julio Cesar (Brazil, Inter Milan), Kaka (Brazil, AC Milan then Real Madrid) Frank Lampard (England / Chelsea) Maicon (Brazil, Inter Milan) Lionel Messi (Argentina, Barcelona) Luis Fabiano (Brazil, Sevilla) Franck Ribéry (France, Bayern Munich) Wayne Rooney (England, Manchester United) John Terry (England / Chelsea) Nemanja Vidic (Serbia, Manchester United) David Villa (Spain, Valencia) Xavi Hernandez (Spain, Barcelona) Yaya Toure (Ivory Coast, Barcelona)

Cristiano Ronaldo was voted best player of the year by the football associations of England Professionals (ATP) in which the Catalan Cesc Fàbregas was also crowned as the best couple

The Luso end of 23 years and top scorer this season in England-38 accumulates so many in all competitions, was awarded this recognition for the second consecutive season.

After knowing the said prize winner, Ronaldo said it was "an honour and a pleasure."

Cristiano Ronaldo was imposed as to other candidates, among them the Spanish striker Fernando Torres, Liverpool and captain of the "Reds", Steven Gerrard, Arsenal players Emmanuel Adebayor and Cesc Fabregas and the Portsmouth goalkeeper David James.

The Catalan Cesc Fabregas, however, picked up the award for Best Young Player of the season, a category which also had been including the Portuguese Ronaldo.

The Luso, who did not attend the event to be busy preparing the second knockout of the semi-finals of the Champions League which played tomorrow before the United Barca, shared the prize with his fellow squad.

For its part, Fábregas said he felt "very proud" with this "prestigious trophy."

"Football is a collective sport and always prefer to win titles with your teammates, although it is always nice to receive this type of award," said Spanish.