FIFA world player shortlist announced

Fabio Cannavaro, Ronaldinho and Zinedine Zidane have been named on the three-man shortlist for the 2006 FIFA World Player of the Year award.

Italy captain Cannavaro, who has already been named as the European Footballer of the Year, will be favourite to win the award, ahead of last year’s winner Ronaldinho and Zinedine Zidane.

The trio were on an original long list of 30 players drawn up by FIFA. The award is decided a by a poll of national coaches and team captains. The winner will be announced at a FIFA gala event in Zurich on December 18.

The gala will also award prizes to the three top players during the World Cup (Zidane, Cannavaro and Andreo Pirlo), the competition’s three top scorers (Miroslav Klose, Hernan Crespo and Ronaldo) and the top goalkeeper (Gianluigi Buffon).