Barca trio in hunt for Ballon d’Or

Barcelona team-mates Xavi, Lionel Messi and Andres Iniesta face off for the FIFA-backed Ballon d’Or award for player of the year in Zurich today.

This is only the third time in the award’s history that the finalists have come from the same club after Milan players filled the first three places in 1988 and 1989 with Marco van Basten picking up the honour on each occasion.

While the final result is clouded in secrecy, Italian sports daily Gazzetta dello Sport reckons that Iniesta would emerge victorious.

Iniesta scored the goal that won Spain the World Cup in the final against Holland in Johannesburg’s Soccer City stadium last year.

But for UEFA president Michel Platini it is Iniesta’s Spain team-mate Xavi who should be honoured, with the European football chief also criticising the absence in the shortlist of Dutch playmaker Wesley Sneijder of Inter.

“I would give it to Xavi, then Sneijder, who but for one goal would have won everything (having won the Champions League, Serie A title and Italian Cup last season), and then Iniesta,” Platini said last month.

Platini twice won the Ballon d’Or and was also a two-time World Player of the Year winner before the two prizes merged this season.

This is the 55th edition of the players’ award with Spain’s world champion-winning duo in pole to lift it judging on past experience.

In 1998 Zinedine Zidane came out on top after leading France to that year’s World Cup on home soil. In 2002 Ronaldo took the honours after Brazil’s success in South Korea and Japan, while Italian World Cup winning captain Fabio Cannavaro landed the award in 2006.

If Iniesta or Xavi pick up the accolade as seems likely it will be a first Ballon d’Or for an Iberian star since Luis Suarez way back in 1960.

Today’s ceremony is not only about players as the manager of the year will also be unveiled with Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola and Spain’s World Cup winning coach Vicente del Bosque, facing a redoubtable rival in the shape of Jose Mourinho.

Last 10 winners

2000: Luis Figo
2001: Michael Owen
2002: Ronaldo
2003: Pavel Nedved
2004: Andrei Shevchenko
2005: Ronaldinho
2006: Fabio Cannavaro
2007: Kaka
2008: Cristiano Ronaldo
2009: Lionel Messi