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FIFA will today
announce the winner of the 2010 Ballon D’or in a ceremony in Zurich. In
contention for the player’s diadem is the Barcelona trio of Anders
Iniesta, Xavi Hernandez and 2009 World Footballer of the year, Lionel
Messi.

There have been
disagreements over the makeup of the top three. Many have criticised
the decision to exclude Inter Milan’s Wesley Sneidjer, who won the UEFA
Champions League and got to the final of the 2010 World Cup in South
Africa, where he scored four goals to lead Holland to the final, which
they lost 0-1 to Spain.

There has also been
heated debates over, who should be crowned today. Xavi and Iniesta were
a major part of the Spanish team that won the 2010 World Cup for Spain,
for the very first time. Messi on his part, did not do too well at the
World Cup but he scored a record amount of goals for his Spanish side,
Barcelona in the 2009/10 season.

Xavi Hernandez

Xavi was the
fulcrum of the all-conquering Barcelona side of 2009. That side won all
six competitions they competed in. He was also a major part of the
Spanish team that won the 2008 European Cup and the 2010 World Cup. He
has played 549 times for his boyhood, and only professional club,
Barcelona FC. Described in glowing terms as a metronome in the Catalan
side – he is the brain behind all the moves that culminate in goals
from the centre of the pitch. He hardly gets dispossessed of the ball
and almost always has the greatest number of completed passes in any
match he features in.

Andres Iniesta

The abiding image
of this shy Catalan midfielder is his World Cup-winning goal against
Holland in extra time in the final match of the 2010 World Cup. He will
also be remembered by Chelsea fans for the 91st minute goal at Stamford
Bridge in 2009, which got the Barcelona team into the final where they
triumphed over Manchester United 2-0.

Lionel Messi

Some have argued
that Messi should not have made the top three in the run to today’s
announcement but no one can begrudge this player the title as the
world’s best footballer. When he retires from the game in some years’
time, he will definitely be grouped with the finest players in the
world. Players like Johann Cryuff, Pele, Diego Maradona, Eusebio, and
Ferenc Puskas.

But the little
Argentine has already conceded the title to either of his two Barcelona
mates. “Xavi and Iniesta deserve it, they are excellent players,” Messi
said in the Spanish media. He also added that he would want his club
coach, Pep Guardiola to win the Best Coach award.

Other awards

The new award,
which is being given for the first time is a fusion of the former
FIFA’s Player of the Year with France Football magazine’s Ballon D’Or,
which has been given out since 1956.

For the award of
coach of the year, there will be Spain’s World Cup winning coach,
Vicente del Bosque; Barcelona’s Pep Guardiola; and current Real Madrid
coach, Jose Mourinho, who led Inter Milan to a treble – the UEFA
Champions League, the Copa Italia, and the Serie A title – in the
2009/2010 season.

The world football body will also announce its best 11 players which
will comprise of a goalkeeper, four defenders, three midfielders and
three forwards. All the nominees are based in Europe.