FIFPro World XI Player Awards 2006

Monday 6th November 2006 - Athens, Greece

The 55 players short listed for the FIFPro World XI Player Awards 2006 have been announced.

FIFPro (Fédération Internationale des Associations de Footballers Professionnels) the world wide representative organisation for all professional footballers has announced the nominations listed below at the FIFPro congress meeting in Rio de Janeiro, following a global voting process where 43,000 players from around the world were invited to cast their votes.

Players from all over the world were invited to choose what they considered to be the best team. A goalkeeper, the four best defenders, three midfielders and three forwards.  They were asked to choose one player from their team as their best player for the last twelve months.

Last year the inaugural awards took place at a gala event held in London which saw Ronaldinho chosen as the World Player of the Year.

Having presented the list of the 55 nominations, it will take one month before the final results of the World XI and the FIFPro World Player of the Year will be officially announced. There will be two further awards presented, the FIFPro Life Time Achievement award and the ASPIRE FIFPro World Young Player Award.
 
The awards presentation will take place on 6th November at the FIFPro Awards Gala in Athens, Greece, home of the European Football Champions, under the auspices of the Deputy Ministry of Sports- Secretariat General of Sports of Greece.

The FIFPro World XI Player Awards 2006 is promoted by RAM Media Ltd and commercially represented by Parallel Media Group plc.

The 55 Nominations are:

Goalkeepers:
Gianluigi Buffon (Italy/ Juventus)
Petr Cech (Czech Republic/ Chelsea)
Nelson de Jesus Silva ‘Dida’ (Brazil/ AC Milan)
Jens Lehmann (Germany/ Arsenal)
Edwin van der Sar (Holland/ Manchester United)

Defenders:
Roberto Ayala (Argentina/ Valencia)
Marcos Evangelista de Moraes’Cafú’ (Brazil/ AC Milan)
Fabio Cannavaro (Italy/ Juventus)
Roberto Carlos da Silva (Brazil/ Real Madrid)
Cícero João de Cezare ‘Cicinho’ (Brazil/ Real Madrid)
Ashley Cole (England/ Arsenal)
Rio Ferdinand (England/ Manchester United)
William Gallas (France/ Chelsea)
Fabio Grosso (Italy/ Palermo)
Philipp Lahm (Germany/ Bayern Munchen)
Ferreira Lucio (Brazil/Bayern Munchen)
Rafael Márquez (Mexico/ Barcelona)
Marco Materazzi (Italy/ Inter)
Luís Miguel Brito Garcia Monteiro (Portugal/ Valencia)
Alessandro Nesta (Italy/ AC Milan)
Carles Puyol (Spain/ Barcelona)
Willy Sagnol (France/ Bayern Munchen)
John Terry (England/ Chelsea)
Lilian Thuram (France/ Juventus)
Gianluca Zambrotta (Italy/ Juventus)

Midfielders:
Michael Ballack (Germany/ Bayern Munchen)
Anderson Deco (Portugal/ Barcelona)
Cesc Fabregas (Spain/ Arsenal)
Luis Figo (Portugal/ Inter)
Gennaro Gattuso (Italy/ AC Milan)
Steven Gerrard (England/ Liverpool)
Ricardo Kaká (Brazil/ AC Milan)
Frank Lampard (England/ Chelsea)
Claude Makalele (France/ Chelsea)
Andrea Pirlo (Italy/ AC Milan)
Juan Ramon Riquelme (Argentina/ Villareal)
Francesco Totti (Italy/ AS Roma)
Patrick Vieira (France/ Juventus)
Zé Roberto (Brazil/ Bayern Munchen)
Zinedine Zidane (France/ Real Madrid)

Forwards:
Adriano (Brazil/ Inter)
Hernan Crespo (Argentina/ Chelsea)
Didier Drogba (Ivory Coast/ Chelsea)
Samuel Eto’o (Cameroon/ Barcelona)
Thierry Henry (France/ Arsenal)
Miroslav Klose (Germany/ Werder Bremen)
Lionel Messi (Argentina/ Barcelona)
Arjen Robben (Holland/ Chelsea)
Ronaldinho (Brazil/ Barcelona)
Ronaldo (Brazil/ Real Madrid)
Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal/ Manchester United)
Wayne Rooney (England/ Manchester United)
Andry Schevchenko (Ukraine/ AC Milan)
Luca Toni (Italy/ Fiorentina)
Fernando Torres (Spain/ Atletico Madrid)

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