The list of men and women to be crowned as the FIFA World Players for 2009 has been cut down to five. But who do you think will be the winners?
Kaka, Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Andres Iniesta and Xavi are in the running for the men's award, while Inka Grings, Cristiane, Marta, Birgit Prinz and Kelly Smith could claim the women's crown.
But who do you think will emerge triumphant?
Can you predict who the captains and coaches from FIFA's 208 member associations will select?
Did Cristiano Ronaldo do better than Messi in 2009? Is Xavi a better central midfielder than Kaka - or should Iniesta be crowned above them all?
As for the women, will Prinz or Kelly win it for the strikers, could the award be going back to Brazil or will outsider Inka Grings be revealed as being the number one women's player in the world?
All will be revealed on Monday 21 December in Zurich.
The nominees were confirmed after a poll in which the coaches and captains of men’s and women’s national teams from around the world voted for candidates from a list drawn up by football experts from the FIFA Football Committee and the FIFA Committee for Women’s Football.
The FIFA World Player Gala 2009 will have a number of exciting new features, including two new awards:
1. The FIFA/FIFPro World XI, which will honour the best 11 players of the year as chosen by over 50,000 professional football players from all over the world.
FIFA and FIFPro have joined forces to honour the best 11 players of the year with the FIFA/FIFPro World XI award, which will be presented for the first time at the 2009 FIFA World Player Gala on 21 December at the Kongresshaus in Zurich.
“FIFA is delighted to join the association of professional football players FIFPro in order to pay tribute to the best footballers of the year in each position. We will be happy to welcome the top players, as chosen by their peers, at the FIFA World Player Gala in Zurich,” said FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter.
“The election of the FIFA/FIFPro World XI is extremely well appreciated by the players, because it’s their own colleagues who are voting for them.
As no other they know what you have to do and what you have to miss to reach the top as a professional footballer.
It is perfect that through the cooperation with FIFA we can now honour these winners on the biggest stage of all at the FIFA World Player Gala,” added FIFPro President Gerardo Movilla.
The FIFA/FIFPro World XI is chosen by over 50,000 professional football players from all over the world, who have voted for the best player in each position. From 2005 to 2008, FIFPro organised its own World XI player award, with the same selection system.
The FIFA World Player Gala has been organised by FIFA since 1991, and has become the most prestigious awards ceremony in the world of football.
At this annual ceremony, the FIFA World Player award is presented to the best male and female player of the year, as chosen by the national team coaches and captains.
2. The FIFA Puskás Award, created in honour and in memory of Ferenc Puskás, the captain and star of the Hungarian national team during the 1950s, will be presented to the player – man or woman – who has scored the “most beautiful goal” during the past year.
Grammy award winner Laura Pausini will headline the musical acts at this year’s FIFA World Player Gala.Support act The Harlem Gospel Singers will also perform at the gala, which will be hosted by CNN International Sports presenter Pedro Pinto and Sky Sports presenter Charlotte Jackson.
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