Who will claim the FIFA Ballon d'Or and the FIFA Women's World Player of the Year awards for 2010? Who will be the first to win the FIFA World Coach of the Year for men and the FIFA World Coach of the Year for women? FIFA and France Football have announced the names of the players and coaches on the short lists for these awards and the final decisions will be made by the captains and head coaches of the men's and women's national teams as well as by international media representatives selected by France Football. The winners will be revealed at the FIFA Ballon d'Or gala as part of a lve televised ceremony at the Zurich Kongresshaus in Switzerland on 10 January 2011, during which the FIFA/ FIFPro World XI and the FIFA Puskàs Award for the most beautiful goal of the year will also be announced for the second year running. The FIFA Presidential Award and the FIFA Fair Play Award will also be presented during the gala. The lists of 23 male and 10 female candidates, as well as the two lists of 10 coaches have been drawn up by football experts from the Football Committee, the Technical and Development Committee, the Committee for Women's Football and the FIFA Women's World Cup, as well as by a group of experts from France Football. The alliance between FIFA and the Amaury Group to create the FIFA Ballon d'Or was signed in Johannesburg on 5 July 2010. The award is a combination of the FIFA World Player of the Year award and the France Football Ballon d'Or. The FIFA World Coach of the Year for Men's Football award and the FIFA World Coach of the Year for the Women's Football award will be presented for the first time. On 6 December 2010, FIFA and France Football will announce at a media event in Paris the names of the three men and three women, as well as the three men's coaches and three women's coaches who have received the most votes. The following 23 men (in alphabetical order) are in contention for the FIFA Ballon d'Or 2010: Xabi Alonso (Spain), Daniel Alves (Brazil), Iker Casillas (Spain), Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal), Didier Drogba (Côte d'Ivoire), Samuel Eto'o (Cameroon), Cesc Fabregas (Spain), Diego Forlàn (Uruguay), Asamoah Gyan (Ghana), Andrés Iniesta (Spain), J�lio César (Brazil), Miroslav Klose (Germany), Philipp Lahm (Germany), Maicon (Brazil), Lionel Messi (Argentina), Thomas Mèller (Germany), Mesut �zil (Germany), Carles Puyol (Spain), Arjen Robben (Netherlands), Bastian Schweinsteiger (Germany), Wesley Sneijder (Netherlands), David Villa (Spain) and Xavi (Spain). The following 10 women (in alphabetical order) are in contention for the title of FIFA Women's World Player 2010: Camille (France), Fatmire Bajramaj (Germany), So Yun Ji (Korea Republic), Marta (Brazil), Birgit Prinz (Germany), Caroline Seger (Sweden), Christine Sinclair (Canada), Kelly Smith (England), Hope Solo (USA) and Abby Wambach (USA). The following 10 coaches (in alphabetical order, first nationality and then team) are in contention for the FIFA World Coach of the Year for Men's Football 2010: Carlo Ancelotti (Italy/Chelsea FC), Vicente del Bosque (Spain/Spain national team), Alex Ferguson (Scotland/Manchester United), Pep Guardiola (Spain/FC Barcelona), Joachim Löw (Germany/Germany national team), José Mourinho (Portugal/FC Internazionale Milano and Real Madrid CF), Oscar Tabàrez (Uruguay/ Uruguay national team), Louis Van Gaal (Netherlands, FC Bayern Munich), Bert Van Marwijk (Netherlands/Netherlands national team) and Arsène Wenger (France/Arsenal). The following 10 coaches (in alphabetical order, first nationality and then team) are in contention for the FIFA World Coach of the Year for Women's Football 2010: Bruno Bini (France/France national team), In Cheul Choi (Korea Republic/Korea Republic U-20 national team), Maren Meinert (Germany/Germany U-20 national team), Albertin Montoya (USA/FC Gold Pride), Silvia Neid (Germany/ Germany national team), Hope Powell (England/England national team), Norio Sasaki (Japan/Japan national team), Bernd Schröder (Germany/FFC Turbine Potsdam), Pia Sundhage (Sweden/USA national team), Béatrice von Siebenthal (Switzerland/Switzerland national team). A new chapter in football was opened with the news that France Football's Ballon d'Or and the FIFA World Player of the Year award have been merged. FIFA President Joseph Blatter signed an agreement with Amaury Group President Marie- Odile Amaury in Johannesburg on Monday, meaning that the world's best player will from now on be awarded the FIFA Ballon d'Or each year. "I'm happy to be speaking about the players today as they are football's true protagonists," said Blatter. "I'm delighted that Marie-Odile Amaury and France Football have extended a hand to FIFA. As a result, we have accomplished an idea that has been discussed at FIFA for a number of years now, and no doubt at France Football too: we're going to combine our talents and experience to create a single reward for the world's best player. It will be known as the FIFA Ballon d'Or." Ms Amaury added: "I'm very happy that we are teaming up with FIFA to select and present the Ballon d'Or to the best player in the world. We'll be adding even more glory and value to this prize, and we will now be holding an even more spectacular ceremony, which will make it possible for us to reach everyone who loves the game. We are tremendously proud." Also at the press conference was former Liberia international George Weah -- still the only African player to have won the FIFA World Player of the Year award and France Football's Ballon d'Or. "To receive an award like this makes any player immensely proud," he said. "Not just for himself, but for the continent he represents as well. It's also a challenge because you have to work hard and have your work recognised by players, coaches and journalists. Because of that, the award has huge value and it's a real mission to try to stay at the same level." The Ballon d'Or came into existence in 1956, and until 1994 it was presented to the best player from a European nation playing club football in a European league. Players no longer had to be European after a relaxing of the rules in 1995, but they still had to ply their trade on the Old Continent until 2007, when that condition was removed as well. The FIFA Player of the Year award operated according to the most recent version of those criteria after its creation in 1991. The first Ballon d'Or was handed to Stanley Matthews in 1956, the 41-year-old English winger, pipping Alfredo Di Stefano and Raymond Kopa to the prize. Then, 35 years later, the inaugural FIFA Player of the Year award went to German midfielder Lothar Matthaus, with Jean-Pierre Papin and Gary Lineker second and third in the standings. Since 2005, the two honours have always gone to the same players, with Ronaldinho recognised in 2005, Fabio Cannavaro singled out in 2006, Kaka taking the plaudits in 2007, and 2008 winner Cristiano Ronaldo then giving way to Lionel Messi last year. "We'll be adding even more glory and value to this prize, which will make it possible for us to reach everyone who loves the game," said Amaury. In practical terms, the new FIFA Ballon d'Or award will represent a fusion in terms of voting procedure as well. Votes will now come from the coaches and captains of international teams -- as was previously the case for the FIFA Player of the Year -- and also from journalists, who used to nominate France Football's Ballon d'Or winner. One of the journalists is Inas Mazhar of Al-Ahram Weekly. "This electoral college of players, coaches and journalists will make for more balance and better representation," explained Francois Moriniere, managing director of L'Equipe and France Football. "It will also be a worldwide college of journalists rather than a uniquely European one. All these things will lend the award more credibility." "Football has become universal, so it is a good thing to present just one prize to the world's best player," Blatter said. "With this agreement, football is the real winner."
