FIFA World XI Shortlist

[ant london]

love the way this is reported and where our players/City is mentioned but Manchester City has 4 players on the 55 man "shortlist"

http://www.football365.com/premier-leag ... -shortlist

Chelsea trio Ashley Cole, John Terry and Frank Lampard, and Manchester United duo Rio Ferdinand and Wayne Rooney made the cut, along with another 12 players from the Premier League - 13 if you include the now retired former United goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar.

Two more Blues - David Luiz and Didier Drogba - are included, plus three more United players in Patrice Evra, Nemanja Vidic and Nani.

Tottenham's Wales winger Gareth Bale makes the shortlist, as does Arsenal's Robin van Persie and Liverpool's Luis Suarez.

The other four Premier League representatives play for Manchester City - Vincent Kompany, David Silva, Yaya Toure and Sergio Aguero.

Spain's top league boasts 22 nominees, made up predominantly of players from European champions Barcelona and their arch-rivals Real Madrid.

Nine of Barca's starting XI which beat Manchester United in the Champions League final in May are included - Pedro and Javier Mascherano the men to miss out - with Madrid boasting 10 inclusions.

Italy's Serie A contributes nine players to the list, four come from Germany's Bundesliga and one each from Russia's Premier League and Brazil's Campeonato.

The nominees were voted on by the 50,000 professional footballers belonging to the players' unions across the world that form FIFPro.

The final XI will be announced at the FIFA Ballon d'Or in Zurich on January 9, 2012.

The 55-player shortlist in full (home country, current club) is:

Goalkeepers: Gianluigi Buffon (Italy, Juventus), Iker Casillas (Spain, Real Madrid), Manuel Neuer (Germany, Bayern Munich), Victor Valdes (Spain, Barcelona), Edwin van der Sar (Holland, retired, formerly Manchester United).

Defenders: Eric Abidal (France, Barcelona), Dani Alves (Brazil, Barcelona), Ricardo Carvalho (Portugal, Real Madrid), Ashley Cole (England, Chelsea), Patrice Evra (France, Manchester United), Rio Ferdinand (England, Manchester United), Vincent Kompany (Belgium, Manchester City), Philipp Lahm (Germany, Bayern Munich), Lucio (Brazil, Internazionale), David Luiz (Brazil, Chelsea), Maicon (Brazil, Internazionale), Marcelo (Brazil, Real Madrid), Alessandro Nesta (Italy, AC Milan), Pepe (Portugal, Real Madrid), Gerard Pique (Spain, Barcelona), Carles Puyol (Spain, Barcelona), Sergio Ramos (Spain, Real Madrid), Thiago Silva (Brazil, AC Milan), John Terry (England, Chelsea), Nemanja Vidic (Serbia, Manchester United).

Midfielders: Xabi Alonso (Spain, Real Madrid), Gareth Bale (Wales, Tottenham Hotspur), Sergio Busquets (Spain, Barcelona), Cesc Fabregas (Spain, Barcelona), Andres Iniesta (Spain, Barcelona), Kaka (Brazil, Real Madrid), Frank Lampard (England, Chelsea), Nani (Portugal, Manchester United), Mesut Ozil (Germany, Real Madrid), Andrea Pirlo (Italy, Juventus), Bastian Schweinsteiger (Germany, Bayern Munich), David Silva (Spain, Manchester City), Wesley Sneijder (Netherlands, Internazionale), Yaya Toure (Ivory Coast, Manchester City), Xavi (Spain, Barcelona).

Forwards: Lionel Messi (Argentina, Barcelona), Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal, Real Madrid), Wayne Rooney (England, Manchester Utd), David Villa (Spain, Barcelona), Samuel Eto'o (Cameroon, Anzhi), Sergio Aguero (Argentina, Manchester City), Neymar (Brazil, Santos), Didier Drogba (Ivory Coast, Chelsea), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Sweden, AC Milan), Luis Suarez (Uruguay, Liverpool), Radamel Falcao (Colombia, Atletico Madrid), Edinson Cavani (Uruguay, Napoli), Karim Benzema (France, Real Madrid), Mario Gomez (Germany, Bayern Munich), Robin van Persie (Holland, Arsenal).

[Ted Hughes]

No Berbatov ?

[ant london]

Oh you wag Ted!

[Biamp]

No Tevez?

[PALUS]

Fuck Suarez is on the lis i going to shoot my self!!!

[TheGOAT]

No Tevez?

Thats what i thought... and how is David Luiz in there!?

[Seanyod]

Is it me or is that taking the piss. The other 4 from city. But everyone else mentioned first. This me bring paranoid or they taking the piss ?

[freshie]

Oh you wag Ted!

Which football player is he shagging?

[freshie]

How the fuck has David Luiz made the shortlist??!!

[Goataldo]

A glowing list of raw talent, and then an awkward footnote, listing City players like it's a legal obligation or summat. You could argue we had our own bit set aside, but it has a snide read quality to it.

[LookMumImOnMCF.net]

Where's the whole City squad, etc, everyone's against us

[Goataldo]

In fact, even though it's late and she'd rather not be listening to me rant on about City , I just read that 'article' to her, and she was more appalled at the bias than I was!

[Beefymcfc]

Is it me or is that taking the piss. The other 4 from city. But everyone else mentioned first. Is this me being paranoid or are they taking the piss ?

I'd say the latter, otherwise you wouldn't believe me ;-)

As for LookMum, just, pffffffffffft.

[Dubciteh]

its like whoever picked the list didnt watch football last year and just picked the most well known players with the exception of our 4 who genuinley belong on the list but as much as people dislike tevez he should def be on it as should Joe Hart but its a shambles, what the fuck has Pirlo done in the last year? Ferdinand? etc etc

[Original Dub]

Where's the whole City squad, etc, everyone's against us

Still no bias in the media then mate?

[dazby]

Don't the players and/or managers select this list?

[Rag_hater]

What does Yaya do?

[Seanyod]

<null>

Haha mint !

[Slim]

Out of all the City players who could be on the list, I would have thought Joe Hart would be the first choice.

Strange that he isn't there, but who knows with these half season awards, didn't that beady eyed taffy wanker get an award despite only playing 15 games in the calendar year?

[Mase]

Edwin van der Sar??? Is that a piss take?