• Sergio Agüero, Yaya Touré and Mario Balotelli nominated
• Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo favourites to win award
The Manchester City trio of Sergio Agüero, Yaya Touré and Mario Balotelli have been named on Fifa's initial 23-man list for the 2012 Ballon d'Or.
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo will inevitably battle for favouritismfor the award but the Premier League champions will be boosted by the appearance of three players on the initial confirmation of candidates.
Other English-based players among the 23are Manchester United's Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie. Chelsea's European Cup-winning striker Didier Drogba, who is now based in China, is also quoted.
Messi's Barcelona team-mates Xavi Hernández, Gerard Piqué, Andrés Iniesta and Sergio Busquets are among others in the running for the prize. Messi is seeking his third Ballon D'Or in succession, with Iniesta and Xavi making up last year's top three. The winner will be announced next January, with the 23 candidates to be cut to just three before that gala awards dinner in Switzerland. * *
**Men's Ballon d'Or nominations*
*
Sergio Agüero (Arg)
Xavi Alonso (Sp)
Mario Balotelli (It)
Karim Benzema (Fr)
Gianluigi Buffon (It)
Sergio Busquets (Sp)
Iker Casillas (Sp)
Cristiano Ronaldo (Por)
Didier Drogba (Iv)
Ramadel Falcao (Col)
Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Swe)
Andrés Iniesta (Sp)
Lionel Messi (Arg)
Manuel Neuer (Ger)
Neymar (Bra)
Mesut Ozil (Ger)
Gerard Piqué (Sp)
Andrea Pirlo (It)
Sergio Ramos (Sp)
Wayne Rooney (Eng)
Yaya Touré (Iv)
Robin van Persie (Neth)
Xavi Hernández (Sp)
**Women's Ballon d'Or nominations*
*
Camille Abily (Fr)
Miho Fukumoto (Jp)
Carli Lloyd (US)
Marta (Bra)
Aya Miyama (Jp)
Alex Morgan (US)
Megan Rapinoe (US)
Homare Sawa (Jp)
Christine Sinclair (Can)
Abby Wambach (US) Reported by guardian.co.uk 42 minutes ago.
• Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo favourites to win award
The Manchester City trio of Sergio Agüero, Yaya Touré and Mario Balotelli have been named on Fifa's initial 23-man list for the 2012 Ballon d'Or.
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo will inevitably battle for favouritismfor the award but the Premier League champions will be boosted by the appearance of three players on the initial confirmation of candidates.
Other English-based players among the 23are Manchester United's Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie. Chelsea's European Cup-winning striker Didier Drogba, who is now based in China, is also quoted.
Messi's Barcelona team-mates Xavi Hernández, Gerard Piqué, Andrés Iniesta and Sergio Busquets are among others in the running for the prize. Messi is seeking his third Ballon D'Or in succession, with Iniesta and Xavi making up last year's top three. The winner will be announced next January, with the 23 candidates to be cut to just three before that gala awards dinner in Switzerland. * *
**Men's Ballon d'Or nominations*
*
Sergio Agüero (Arg)
Xavi Alonso (Sp)
Mario Balotelli (It)
Karim Benzema (Fr)
Gianluigi Buffon (It)
Sergio Busquets (Sp)
Iker Casillas (Sp)
Cristiano Ronaldo (Por)
Didier Drogba (Iv)
Ramadel Falcao (Col)
Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Swe)
Andrés Iniesta (Sp)
Lionel Messi (Arg)
Manuel Neuer (Ger)
Neymar (Bra)
Mesut Ozil (Ger)
Gerard Piqué (Sp)
Andrea Pirlo (It)
Sergio Ramos (Sp)
Wayne Rooney (Eng)
Yaya Touré (Iv)
Robin van Persie (Neth)
Xavi Hernández (Sp)
**Women's Ballon d'Or nominations*
*
Camille Abily (Fr)
Miho Fukumoto (Jp)
Carli Lloyd (US)
Marta (Bra)
Aya Miyama (Jp)
Alex Morgan (US)
Megan Rapinoe (US)
Homare Sawa (Jp)
Christine Sinclair (Can)
Abby Wambach (US) Reported by guardian.co.uk 42 minutes ago.