Soccer
Ronaldo up for top award again
2009-12-08 07:38
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Zurich - Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo has again been shortlisted to defend his World Player of the Year title for this year's accolade.
Argentina's Lionel Messi, Brazil's Kaka, the 2007 winner, and Spanish pair Andres Iniesta and Xavi completed the shortlist for the title which will be awarded by soccer's governing body FIFA on December. 21.
Cristiane (Brazil), Inka Grings (Germany), Marta (Brazil), Birgit Prinz (Germany) and Kelly Smith (England) will contest the women’s award.
The FIFA World Player Gala 2009 will have a number of exciting new features, including two new awards:
• The FIFA/FIFPro World XI, which will honour the best 11 players of the year as chosen by over 50 000 professional football players from all over the world.
• The FIFA Puskás Award, created in honour and in memory of Ferenc Puskás, the captain and star of the Hungarian national team during the 1950s, will be presented to the player - man or woman - who has scored the “most beautiful goal” during the past year.