Road accident deaths drop by 50% in Saudi Arabia    SR 3.95 million fines for 3 employees of a company and 6-month jail for one for violating Capital Market Law    Qassim emir launches 52 health projects costing a total of SR456 million    BD and INS partner to elevate standards of infusion care in MENAT    Dubai Design Week launches its 10th edition, celebrating creativity and innovation    GASTAT: Passengers of public transport bus and train soar 176% and 33% respectively in 2023    Fakeeh Care Group reports 9M-2024 net profit of SR195.3 million, up 49% y-o-y driven by solid revenue growth and robust profitability    Italy's 'Libra' to arrive in Albania with just eight migrants on board    South Africa shuts border crossing with Mozambique over poll unrest    French families sue TikTok over harmful content that allegedly led to suicides    Harris tells supporters 'never give up' and urges peaceful transfer of power    HRT does not impact life expectancy — UK health body    Liam Payne's body to be flown back to the UK    Suspect arrested for banking fraud totaling SR493 million as Nazaha pursues corruption charges    Arab leaders and heads of state congratulate US President-elect Donald Trump    Neymar suffers muscle tear, out for 4-6 weeks    Crown Prince hails Saudi medical team that performed world's first fully robotic heart transplant    Al Nassr secures 5-1 victory over Al Ain to edge closer to knockout stage    Al Ahli extends perfect start with 5-1 victory over Al Shorta    Mitrovic's hat-trick leads Al Hilal to 3-0 victory over Esteghlal    India puts blockbuster Pakistani film on hold    The Vikings and the Islamic world    Filipino pilgrim's incredible evolution from an enemy of Islam to its staunch advocate    Muted Eid celebrations for millions of Nigerian Muslims    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Barca trio for Ballon d'Or
JEROME PUGMIRE
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 07 - 12 - 2010

Iniesta, Xavi, Messi nominated for top FIFA award PARIS: Barcelona players Andres Iniesta, Xavi Hernandez and Lionel Messi are the three nominees for FIFA's Ballon d'Or award for the World Player of the Year.
Midfielders Iniesta and Xavi helped Spain win its first World Cup, while Argentina forward Messi led Barcelona to another Spanish title.
Messi won the Ballon d'Or, or Golden Ball, award last year when France Football magazine chose the best player in Europe. The Golden Ball is being merged this year for the first time with FIFA's player of the year award to create one trophy.
The inaugural coach of the year award is between Jose Mourinho – who won the Champions League and the domestic League and Cup double with Inter MilanSpain's Vicente del Bosque and Barcelona's Pep Guardiola.
The winners will be announced on Jan. 10.
“Barcelona is dominating the Spanish league at the moment,” FIFA general secretary Jerome Valcke said Monday.
“Not only is Spanish football dominating but Barcelona is as well. Spanish football has really been ahead since 2008.”
Iniesta scored the winning goal against the Netherlands in this year's World Cup final, settling a tense and sometimes brutal match 1-0. He collected a cushioned pass from Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas and finished with a shot into the opposite corner just minutes from the end of extra time to avoid a penalty shootout.
Xavi was arguably Spain's best player at the tournament, linking superbly with Iniesta in a midfield that prided itself on one-touch passing coupled with exceptional movement off the ball.
Spain fielded a similar midfield when it won the European Championship two years ago, with several Barcelona players in both teams.
Messi was a disappointment at the World Cup, failing to replicate his club form, and he did not manage a goal in South Africa, having scored 34 league goals heading into the tournament. Argentina lost 4-0 to Germany in the quarterfinals.
But Messi has continued his rich vein of form this season and already has 15 league goals from just 12 games.
Although he didn't score, Messi was the architect of Barcelona's 5-0 destruction of Mourinho's Real Madrid last week, when he showed another side to his game with some sublime passing to set up striker David Villa in the second half.
Guardiola's Barcelona is widely recognized as the benchmark for slick, attacking football, and his team has now scored 19 goals in the last four games without conceding.
Inter Milan president Massimo Moratti criticized the absence of playmaker Wesley Sneijder, who was instrumental in leading the club to a treble of titles last season and then helped the Netherlands reach the World Cup final.
“I find it very unfair. Sneijder had a phenomenal year and won everything that he could have. He deserved the Golden Ball,” Moratti said. “It seems unfair to me that the award be given to someone who didn't have the same type of performance throughout the year, even if we're talking about a great player.”
Sneijder was probably penalized for Inter's poor start to this season, with the club lying in sixth place in Serie A ahead of Monday's Napoli-Palermo match.
Italian sports daily Gazzetta Dello Sport reported in its Sunday edition that the award would go Iniesta, who scored the match winning goal in the World Cup final against the Netherlands in July.
It was the third time that three players from the same club had been named on the Ballon d'Or shortlist. In 1988 and 1989, AC Milan monopolized the first three spots on the list, with Marco Van Basten winning both times.


Clic here to read the story from its source.