Despite the heartbreak of losing the World Cup final with the Netherlands, Wesley Sneijder is the bookmakers‘ favourite to walk away with the inaugural FIFA Ballon d‘Or award.
The attacking midfielder was on the losing side in Johannesburg on July 11, when Spain defeated Holland 1-0 to claim their first ever World Cup title.
Spanish midfielders Xavi and Andres Iniesta are also strong contenders for the prestigious prize, but the presence of the Barcelona pair on the shortlist could split the pro-Spanish votes to Sneijder‘s advantage.
More significantly, the 26-year-old Dutchman enjoyed a glittering debut season at Inter Milan that culminated in an unprecedented treble of the Italian league title, the Coppa Italia (Italian Cup) and the European Champions League.
Sneijder leads the running for the award at 6-4 with British bookmakers William Hill, while Xavi is at 7/2 and Iniesta, who scored the extra-time winner in the World Cup final, is at 11/2.
The FIFA Ballon d‘Or gala takes place in Zurich on January 10 and the ceremony will mark the marriage of FIFA‘s World Player of the Year prize and the Ballon d‘Or, which has been awarded by France Football magazine since 1956.
In recent years the two awards have often gone to the same player and Barcelona forward Lionel Messi is the current holder of both trophies.
Source:http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art201010282344884
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