Reds duo up for FIFA award

Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney have both been nominated for FIFA's World Player of the year award.

The United youngsters are among 12 Premiership players on the 30-man list for the prize, which will be awarded in Zurich on 18 December after the head coaches and captains of all national teams cast their votes.

Italy's World Cup-winning captain Fabio Cannavaro and Arsenal's French striker Thierry Henry, a losing finalist in Germany and in the Champions League for his club, are the favourites to claim the crown from last year's winner, Barcelona's Ronaldinho.

FIFA World Player of the Year shortlist:
Adriano (Inter Milan, Brazil),
Michael Ballack (Chelsea, Germany),
Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus, Italy),
Fabio Cannavaro (Real Madrid, Italy),
Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United, Portugal),
Petr Cech (Chelsea, Czech Republic),
Deco (Barcelona, Portugal),
Didier Drogba (Chelsea, Ivory Coast),
Michael Essien (Chelsea, Ghana),
Samuel Eto'o (Barcelona, Cameroon),
Luis Figo (Inter Milan, Portugal),
Gennaro Gattuso (AC Milan, Italy),
Steven Gerrard (Liverpool, England),
Thierry Henry (Arsenal, France),
Kaka (AC Milan, Brazil),
Miroslav Klose (Werder Bremen, Germany),
Philippe Lahm (Bayern Munich, Germany),
Frank Lampard (Chelsea, England),
Jens Lehmann (Arsenal, Germany),
Alessandro Nesta (AC Milan, Italy),
Andrea Pirlo (AC Milan, Italy),
Franck Ribery (Marseille, France),
Juan Roman Riquelme (Villarreal, Argentina),
Ronaldinho (Barcelona, Brazil),
Wayne Rooney (Manchester United, England),
Tomas Rosicky (Arsenal, Czech Republic),
Andriy Shevchenko (Chelsea, Ukraine),
Lilian Thuram (Barcelona, France),
Patrick Vieira (Inter Milan, France),
Zinedine Zidane (retired, France).

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