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Barca sweeps Golden Ball nominations

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-12-09 09:57

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. The file photo taken on January 2, 2010 shows Xavi Hernandez, Lionel Messi, and Andres Iniesta (L-R) posing with their trophies. [Photo/Xinhua]

PARIS - Barcelona players Andres Iniesta, Xavi and Lionel Messi have been nominated for the FIFA Ballon d'Or award for the world player of 2010.

Iniesta and Xavi played for Spain's victorious World Cup team, while Messi played for Argentina in South Africa.

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The winner will be announced in Zurich on January 10, 2011.

Messi won the trophy last year for his outstanding play at Barcelona.

"Barca have made history with three homegrown players in the top three spots," the club said on its website.

The revamped award is a combination of the FIFA World Player of the Year award and the France Football Ballon d'Or trophy, which have been run separately until now.

It is only the third time that there has been a shortlist of players from the same club. AC Milan had all three players on the Golden Ball podium in successive years, but they didn't come through the youth ranks. Marco van Basten, Ruud Gullit and Frank Rijkaard were 1-2-3 in 1988; followed by Van Basten, Franco Baresi and Rijkaard in 1989.

Dutch playmaker Wesley Sneijder had been considered a strong candidate for this year's award, but he failed to make the shortlist.