The football world family gathers in Zurich, Switzerland on 10th January to honor those who have excelled and made a significant contribution to world football in the past year at FIFA Ballon d\u2019Or Gala.
\nThe top prize on the Gala night is the FIFA Ballon d\u2019Or given to the best player of the year.
\nA new chapter in football was opened with the news that France Football\u2019s Ballon d\u2019Or and the FIFA World Player of the Year award have merged. As a result, the world\u2019s best player will, from now on, be awarded the FIFA Ballon d\u2019Or each year.
\nIn practical terms, the new FIFA Ballon d\u2019Or award also represents a fusion in terms of voting procedure. Votes will now come from the coaches and captains of international teams \u2013 as was previously the case for the FIFA Player of the Year \u2013 and also from journalists, who used to nominate France Football’s Ballon d\u2019Or winner.
\nThe shortlist for 2010 has three names and unfortunately none of them are from Africa. Three African players however have a chance to win on the night by making it into The FIFA\/FIFPro World XI.
\nIvory Coast striker, Didier Drogba, club compatriot and Ghanaian midfielder, Michael Essien and reigning African Footballer of the year, Cameroon\u2019s Samuel Eto\u2019o are in the running for the best eleven players in the world for 2010.
\nThe FIFA\/FIFPro World XI award was presented for the first time at the 2009 FIFA World Player Gala.
\nThe FIFA\/FIFPro World XI is chosen by over 50,000 professional football players from all over the world, who vote for the best player in each position.
\nAfrica could also walk away with another award in the FIFA Puskas Award 2010. This is a category where online voters choose the best goal scored in 2010.
\nBy the close of the vote, over a million had voted on FIFA.com on the ten selected top goals of which South Africa\u2019s Siphiwe Tshabalala\u2019s wonder strike, the very first goal of FIFA WORLD CUP 2010 is one. Other awards to be given on the night include :
\nFIFA Ballon d\u2019Or
\nFIFA Women\u2019s World Player of the Year
\nFIFA Men\u2019s Football Coach of the Year
\nFIFA Women\u2019s Football Coach of the Year
\nFIFA Presidential Award
\nFIFA Fair Play Award
\nFIFA Pusk\u00e1s Award
\nFIFA\/FIFPro World XI
\nSource: CAF<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The football world family gathers in Zurich, Switzerland on 10th January to honor those who have excelled and made a significant contribution to world football in the past year at FIFA Ballon d\u2019Or Gala. The top prize on the Gala night is the FIFA Ballon d\u2019Or given to the best player of the year. A […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-273029","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard"],"yoast_head":"\n