Barca dominate list
FIFA and France Football magazine on Tuesday unveiled the 23-man shortlist for the 2011 Ballon d'Or, with Wayne Rooney the sole Englishman nominated alongside eight players from Champions League winners Barcelona.
Lionel Messi is favourite to win the award for the third year running, while Xavi Hernandez and Andres Iniesta, who completed last year's podium, are again named.
In total, seven Spanish internationals are shortlisted.
Brazilian teenage sensation Neymar -- of Santos -- is the first player based outside of Europe to be shortlisted since Boca Juniors' Juan Roman Riquelme in 2007.
In the coach of the year category, ten names were shortlisted with the chance to succeed Jose Mourinho, last year's winner.
A panel of journalists, as well as the coaches and captains of FIFA's 208 member associations will vote for the winners, who will be announced at a gala in Zurich, Switzerland on January 9 next year.
The 23 nominees for the Ballon d'Or:
Eric Abidal (FRA/Barcelona), Karim Benzema (FRA/Real Madrid), Sergio Aguero (ARG/Manchester City), Iker Casillas (ESP/Real Madrid), Cristiano Ronaldo (POR/Real Madrid), Daniel Alves (BRA/Barcelona), Samuel Eto'o (CMR/Anzhi Makhachkala), Cesc Fabregas (ESP/Barcelona), Diego Forlan (URU/Inter Milan), Andres Iniesta (ESP/Barcelona), Lionel Messi (ARG/Barcelona), Thomas Muller (GER/Bayern Munich), Nani (POR/Manchester United), Neymar (BRA/Santos), Mesut Ozil (GER/Real Madrid), Gerard Pique (ESP/Barcelona), Wayne Rooney (ENG/Manchester United), Bastian Schweinsteiger (GER/Bayern Munich), Wesley Sneijder (NED/Inter Milan), Luis Suarez (URU/Liverpool), David Villa (ESP/Barcelona), Xabi Alonso (ESP/Real Madrid), Xavi Hernandez (ESP/Barcelona).
The ten nominees for coach of the year:
Vicente Del Bosque (ESP/Spain), Sir Alex Ferguson (SCO/Manchester United), Rudi Garcia (FRA/Lille), Josep Guardiola (ESP/Barcelona), Jurgen Klopp (GER/Borussia Dortmund), Joachim Loew (GER/Germany), Jose Mourinho (POR/Real Madrid), Oscar Tabarez (URU/Uruguay), Andre Villas-Boas (POR/Chelsea), Arsene Wenger (FRA/Arsenal).
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