FIFA handed tonight the 2011 GOLDEN BALL ( BALON D´OR) AWARD - the Best Player in World Football - to FC BARCELONA player LIONEL MESSI. Its his third straight Golden Ball & puts the 24 year old Argentine in the elite class of 3 x winners like Platini, Van Basten & Cruyff. The second place was given to REAL MADRID player CRISTIANO RONALDO & third to FC BARCELONA player XAVI HERNANDEZ.

As advanced yesterday, the full list of the 23 player candidates for the upcoming FIFA GOLDEN BALL AWARD is now officially known after coming down from the initial 50 names. France Football has made it official today, with 3 finalists to be named on the 5th of December. The winner will be named on the 9th of January 2012 in Zurich (Switzerland).

SPANISH SPORTS paper based in Barcelona "Mundo Deportivo" has advanced the "exclusive" news that EIGHT FC BARCELONA players have made the cut of 23 player candidates for this years FIFA GOLDEN BALL AWARD. REAL MADRID has FIVE players in the 23 candidate cut, "leaked" tonight by the Barcelona paper. Days back FRANCE FOOTBALL handed in their initial list of 50 FIFA Golden Ball players, that has

France Football has handed in the list of the initial 50 candidates chosen for this years FIFA GOLDEN BALL AWARD. These are now the following procedures: 1. 1st of November the list of 50 will be shortened to 23 players 2. 5th of December , three players will be named as finalists 3. 9th of January 2012 the winner will be announced Spanish Football based players: courtesy of Marca.