FIFA Shortlist: What??

FIFA must be trapped in some kind of time warp. How else to explain the shortlist for the 2007 FIFA World Player of the year? For a moment there I thought the shortlist was for player of the decade, what with the inclusion of several players clearly past their best.

Okay, I have no problems with including five Italian players – they are, after all, World champions – but when that list includes Gianluigi Buffon and Fabio Cannavaro, one begins to wonder. Buffon, remember, was playing in Serie B last season, while Cannavaro, who won the award last year after an outstanding world cup, struggled to settle in his first season in Spain with Real Madrid. Then there’s Francesco Totti. He won the Golden Boot as top scorer in Europe last season, leading Roma to 2nd in Serie A and lifting the Italian Cup. Certainly deserving of mention, right? Wrong. FIFA couldn’t find room for him in a shortlist of the 30 best players of the last year.

And there is more. Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, led Inter’s championship run last season with 15 goals. He’s also missing from the list. Instead, we have Samuel Eto’o, great player, but out with injury trouble for the better part of the year. Eto’o scored 11 goals for Barcelona last season, but 8 of those came in the early part of the season – in 2006 – before injuries hobbled the Cameroon star. No room also for Arsenal’s Cesc Fabregas, the inspiration of Arsenal’s amazing start to the new season. Instead we have Lillian Thuram, another veteran struggling to settle at a new club. I am sure he deserved a place on the 2006 shortlist, but certainly not this year’s. His teammate, Thierry Henry also has a place among the chosen thirty. Now, there’s no question that Henry is one of the very best strikers in the game, but not in 2007, when injuries restricted him to half of Arsenal’s matches and left him playing well below his high standards.


FIFA’s list frankly looks like nothing more than a collection of high profile names. At best, someone just got lazy at FIFA and decided to reel out all the usual suspects from years past. At worst, FIFA appears to be out of touch with the game it is supposed to be running. Now that’s a scary thought.

Then again, it could just be that FIFA knows there’s only going to be three real contenders anyway so it doesn’t really matter who else they pad up their list of thirty with.

That makes me wonder why they need to list 30 players in the first place. Wouldn’t it make more sense to name just ten? Well, here’s my personal top ten of 2007 – and the reasons why I have picked them.

1. Kaka (Milan & Brazil) – outstanding in Milan’s Champions League campaign
2. Lionel Messi (Barcelona & Argentina) – spectacular performances and goals for club and country
3. Cristiano Ronaldo (Man U & Portugal)– Man U’s inspiration in championship winning season
4. Didier Drogba (Chelsea & Ivory Coast) – 30 goals for Chelsea , including winning goals in both Carling and FA Cup finals
5. Michael Essien (Chelsea & Ghana) – excellent all round season in midfield (and right back)
6. Juan Riquelme (Villareal/Boca & Argentina) – inspired Boca to Copa Libertadores and was outstanding for his country at Copa America.
7. Francesco Totti (Roma & Italy) – Roma’s inspiration and European Golden Boot winner
8. Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Inter & Sweden) - Key player in Inter’s Scudetto winning season
9. Cesc Fabregas (Arsenal & Spain) – Midfield brain behind Arsenal’s spectacular start to new season
10. Ruud van Nistelrooy (Real Madrid & Holland) – His goals pushed Real to Spanish title

So, what do you think of my list? Better than FIFA’s effort I’d bet. Well, do let me know. I would pick the first four in that order; after that, well, it’s a free for all.