FIFA World Cup champion Spain had seven players nominated for the FIFA Ballon d'Or, followed by Germany with five, as the two countries combined for 12 of the 23 selections announced Tuesday.
Xabi Alonso, Iker Casillas, Cesc Fabregas, Andres Iniesta, Carles Puyol, David Villa and Xavi were nominated from Spain, while Miroslav Klose, Philipp Lahm, Thomas Muller, Mesut Ozil and Bastian Schweinsteiger were picked from Germany.
Klose, Lahm, Muller and Schweinsteiger also appeared in the Champions League final for Bayern Munich, a 2-0 defeat to Inter Milan. Milan's Wesley Sneijder as well as Dutch teammate Arjen Robben - who led the Netherlands to the World Cup final - of Bayern also made the list.
Argentina's Lionel Messi and Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo - the last two FIFA World Players of the Year - also made the list but are not favored to capture the award this season.
No English player made the list, and just three from the Premier League - Cesc Fabregas, Didier Drogba and Asamoah Gyan - were nominated.
All of the nominations played in the World Cup, and nine of them also appeared in the UEFA Champions League final.
The FIFA Ballon d'Or will be awarded for the first time, as the former FIFA World Player of the Year award and Ballon d'Or were combined. Three finalists will be announced on Dec. 6, with the winner announced Jan. 10.
Brazil's Marta and Germany's Birgit Prin, who have combined to claim the last seven women's FIFA World Player of the Year awards, are among the 10 finalists again this year.
Awards for the best men's and women's coach were also be given this year, with Spain's Vincente del Bosque, who led his team to the World Cup title, and Jose Mourinho, who led Inter to the Champions League title, among the nominations on the men's side.
Following are all the men's FIFA Ballon d'Or nominations:
Argentina - Lionel Messi; Brazil - Daniel Alves, Julio Cesar, Maicon; Cameroon - Samuel Eto'o; Germany - Miroslav Klose, Philipp Lahm, Thomas Muller, Mesut Ozil, Bastian Schweinsteiger; Ghana - Asamoah Gyan; Ivory Coast - Didier Drogba; Netherlands - Arjen Robben, Wesley Sneijder; Portugal - Cristiano Ronaldo; Spain - Xabi Alonso, Iker Casillas, Cesc Fabregas, Andres Iniesta, Carles Puyol, David Villa, Xavi; Uruguay - Diego Forlan.
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