We are coming up on that time of the year when the next three months we will dress up as someone or something, eat some turkey or some bird till we get fat, and open some presents from our families that we will probably return 2 weeks later. It is also the time when the major awards in football will be awarded.



The Ballon D'Or given to the European Player Of The Year and FIFA World Player Of The Year have been "kissing cousins" since the FIFA award's inception in 1991. In fact, 10 of the last 17 Ballon D'Or winners have won the FIFA award including the last 3 winners. Only 3 times since 1991 has the Ballon D'Or winner not finished in the Top 3 of the FIFA award voting. It is likely this year once again, the winner of the Ballon D'Or will also win the FIFA P.O.Y., so let's look at the 3 best candidates.

Cristiano Ronaldo

The Portuguese superstar was a virtual lock for both awards at the end of the club season. His play carried Manchester United to the Premiership and a 3rd European Cup. He scored in the Champions League final but got cute with a PK, lucky for him John Terry messed up too. 42 goals in 49 total matches is a great feat but his steam ran out at the 2008 European Championship where he was ineffective to say the least. Maybe he was tired from the club season, whatever the case his lock on both awards were broken.

Iker Casillas

The Real Madrid goalkeeper is the best at his position in the world right now. He also has a double winning La Liga with Los Merengues and then capturing the European Championship with Spain. He was brilliant in Euro 2008 keeping a clean sheet throughout the knockout stage and his PK saves versus Italy in the quarters propelled Spain to the title. In addition, who knows how many points he saved Real Madrid throughout the course of the La Liga season.

Xavi

Xavier Hernández Creus does not have as much hardware as the Ronaldo or Casillas this year but he is just as valuable. The man known as Xavi won the European Championship with Spain and was named the player of the tournament. He didn't win anything with Barca but they might be in the UEFA Cup if it weren't for him. He scores timely goals and is the prototypical midfielder connecting the defense to the offense. That is why the Blaugrana will lock up the Catalan star contractually for the rest of his career.

Since we're lumping both the FIFA P.O.Y. & Ballon D'Or together, the winner should be:
Iker Casillas


Cristiano Ronaldo is a VERY close 2nd, Iker gets the nod because he did it at both the club and national team levels. If there were no international competitions this year than Ronaldo is a runaway winner but that's not the case. Show the netminders some love, its hard being a good keeper at Real Madrid besides no keeper has won either award.

Award Winners - Part II. Next up the candidates for South American Player Of The Year.