Ballon d'Or 2012

A 23-man shortlist for the FIFA Ballon d’Or was compiled by the FIFA Football Committee and a group of experts from France Football. It was announced on 29 October.

Four days earlier, a ten-player shortlist was unveiled for the FIFA's Women's Player of the Year, which was chosen by experts from FIFA's Committee for Women's Football and the FIFA Women’s World Cup and a group of experts from France Football.

You can read short profiles for each of the candidates below. From the shortlists, journalists, national coaches and captains will vote for the winner of the FIFA Ballon d’Or and the FIFA Women’s World Player of the Year.

The winners of all of the awards will be revealed at the FIFA Ballon d’Or gala as part of a televised show at the Zurich Kongresshaus on 7 January 2013.

Men'sWomen's

ARG
Sergio AGUERO

Sergio “Kun” Agüero finished the 2011/12 season as Manchester City’s top goalscorer in their successful quest for the Premier League title with 23 goals to his name, nine more than his nearest rival, Edin Džeko. Agüero’s most important strike was undoubtedly the 94th-minute winner in the Citizens’ 3-2 victory over QPR that clinched the title. Maradona’s son-in-law played a key role in City’s charge over the line, scoring seven goals and creating another three in the final eight games. An injury sustained in August has checked his progress somewhat this season as he looks to regain his stunning form of the last campaign.
ESP
XABI ALONSO

Xabi Alonso is one of the pillars of both the Real Madrid and Spanish midfield, not to mention one of the key figures in the success of both sides, often dictating the pace of the game, bringing a sense of calm and rallying the troops. The Basque midfielder can also be a match-winner, just as he was in Spain’s EURO 2012 quarter-final clash with France when he scored twice on the very day he won his 100th cap. Always composed in his defensive work, he is also known for the quality of his searching passes, the accuracy of his free-kicks and his all-round intelligent play.
ITA
Mario BALOTELLI

Mario Balotelli has scored a number of important goals for Manchester City, but his most telling contribution last season was his assist for Sergio Agüero to seal City’s title in added time against QPR. For Italy, he thrilled the tifosi at EURO 2012 with a spectacular volley against the Republic of Ireland before putting Germany to the sword in the semi-finals with a stunning brace. More recently, he was excellent in Italy’s 3-1 win over Denmark in the race to qualify for the 2014 FIFA World Cup™.
FRA
Karim BENZEMA

Karim Benzema was an integral part of the Real Madrid side that won La Liga last season, scoring 32 times and creating another 12 for his team-mates in all competitions. In doing so, the French hitman scored one spectacular goal after the next, including against Barça (after dinking the ball over Carles Puyol), against Osasuna (with a volley from a tight angle à la Van Basten) and, most recently, against Ajax (with an acrobatic overhead kick) as he cemented his place as José Mourinho’s first choice to lead the Real line.
ITA
Gianluigi BUFFON

A key figure in Juventus’ title-winning team, Gigi Buffon is the charismatic leader of Antonio Conte’s Old Lady side that was unbeaten in the 2011/12 season. The Juve goalkeeper is also the No1 in the national team, an ever-dependable presence in a side that did not have the best of preparations for EURO 2012 but ultimately enjoyed an excellent tournament, despite a heavy 4-0 defeat in the final.
ESP
Sergio BUSQUETS

Sergio Busquets quietly set about establishing himself in the Barça side before doing the same with Spain, for whom he has been first choice alongside Xabi Alonso for the last three years. A defensive central midfielder by trade when not called upon to fill in at centre-half, Busquets is a solid, hard-working, rangy midfielder blessed with excellent technique and vision. Still just 24, this Catalan star already has a long list of honours and experience beyond his years.
ESP
Iker CASILLAS

A true leader who is both respected and commanding, Iker Casillas is also an imposing figure for opponents. Without him, Spain would not be European champions, and Real Madrid would probably not have won the Spanish league title. Casillas has been at the very top of the game for the past ten years, calling upon his strong personality to show impressive consistency and efficiency, and ultimately making fewer errors than other goalkeepers. He only conceded one goal at EURO 2012 – against Italy in Spain’s opening match – en route to becoming the first captain to lift a trophy in three consecutive major tournaments.
POR
CRISTIANO RONALDO

2012 was yet another glorious year for the irrepressible Cristiano Ronaldo. With Portugal, he scored twice against the Netherlands and another against the Czech Republic to propel his side to the semi-finals of EURO 2012, while with Real Madrid, he won La Liga – scoring 46 goals along the way – and played a key role in their run to the Champions League semi-finals, where he scored twice in the second leg against Bayern Munich. Winner of the Ballon d’Or in 2008, he has again started this season as he means to go on, scoring the winner against Manchester City in the Champions League before claiming a hat-trick against Ajax. In domestic action, he also scored twice against Barcelona to become the first man to score at least one goal in six consecutive clásicos.
CIV
Didier DROGBA

When Didier Drogba scored against Stoke City on 10 March 2012, he became the first African to reach 100 goals in the Premier League, which although no mean feat in itself, actually paled into significance just two months later at the UEFA Champions League final. Not content with hauling Chelsea level against Bayern with a thumping header in the 88th minute, Drogba went on to score the decisive penalty in the shoot-out to seal the Blues’ triumph. For Drogba, it was his first major European trophy, and it went some way towards making up for the penalty he missed for Côte d’Ivoire in the final of the Africa Cup of Nations against Zambia. Drogba has now left Chelsea and is currently playing for Shanghai Shenhua in China PR.
COL
FALCAO

Radamel Falcao is currently grabbing the headlines for both Atlético Madrid and Colombia, scoring goal after goal and being the only man to keep pace with Messi and Ronaldo in La Liga. The Colombian hot-shot is the complete, all-round striker, and his brace in the UEFA Europa League final against Athletic Bilbao ensured that he won the competition for the second year running (after winning it with FC Porto in 2011), finishing as top scorer once again with 12 goals in 15 games. In August, he went one better by claiming a hat-trick in the UEFA Super Cup final against Chelsea. Little wonder, therefore, that El Tigre is now a major target for all of Europe’s heavyweights.
SWE
Zlatan IBRAHIMOVIC

The Swedish giant shows no sign of letting up, finishing the 2011/12 season as the top scorer in Serie A (with 28 goals for AC Milan) before taking his talents to France, where he scored nine goals in his first nine games for Paris Saint-Germain. His surprise transfer to PSG has propelled the club into a whole new dimension, with Ibrahimović’s talent, power and charisma currently lighting up Ligue 1. With Sweden, he is still the man to turn to when the chips are down, as he showed once again with his strike against France at EURO 2012 and, more recently, his goal against Germany.
ESP
Andres INIESTA

Still a spectacular and impressive figure in the Barcelona midfield, and often standing head and shoulders above the rest, Andrés Iniesta took centre stage for Spain once again in June, winning his second European Championship title and being named as the best player, not only of the final, but also of the entire tournament. As if that were not enough, he recently received the UEFA Best Player in Europe award, ahead of Messi and Ronaldo, from UEFA President Michel Platini.
ARG
Lionel MESSI

Even though Barcelona did not lift a major trophy in 2012 – the Copa del Rey aside – Lionel Messi continued to go from strength to strength, amassing goals and records along the way. His achievements in 2012 included becoming Barça’s all-time leading goalscorer in official matches when he scored his 233rd goal on 20 March, breaking the record for the number of UEFA Champions League goals in a single season (14) and, with his 72 goals in all competitions, he came close to breaking the record held by the legendary Pelé (75 goals). The three-time Ballon d’Or winner was no less impressive for Argentina either, helping them dominate the South American FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
GER
Manuel NEUER

On 25 April, Bayern Munich’s Manuel Neuer kept Real Madrid at bay almost single-handedly in the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League. Commanding his line much like a handball goalkeeper, Neuer repelled efforts from Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaká and Sergio Ramos to make sure that the Bavarians qualified at the expense of Real. In the final, he saved Juan Mata’s penalty before calmly stepping up to convert one himself, although it was ultimately in vain as Chelsea came out on top. With Germany, he was powerless to prevent Balotelli’s two goals in Italy’s 2-1 victory in the semi-finals of EURO 2012.
BRA
NEYMAR

On 16 October, Neymar scored twice in a 4-0 victory for Brazil over Japan in a friendly match in Poland before flying home that same night to make his 200th appearance for Santos – at the tender age of 20 – the very next day, when he once again scored a crucial goal. It was just the next in a long line of achievements for this Brazilian prodigy in 2012, including two goals and three assists against Bolivar and a hat-trick against Internacional in the Copa Libertadores. He was also part of the Brazilian team that won silver at the Olympic Games in London, scoring three goals and creating another four, but even he could not prevent Brazil slipping to defeat against Mexico in the final.
GER
Mesut OEZIL

Even though Mesut Özil could not quite manage to pull the strings as he would have liked for Germany in 2012, he still stood out for Real Madrid. His 17 assists – including 16 for Cristiano Ronaldo – ensured that he finished his first championship-winning season as the top passer in La Liga. He was also one of the stand-out performers in each clásico.
ESP
Gerard PIQUE

Once again, as in 2011, Gerard Piqué was not spared the ordeal of injury setbacks in 2012, but he still played in most major matches for Barcelona and Spain, frequently standing out with his elegant defending but also with his impressive dribbling and passing skills, not to mention his impeccable technique. At EURO 2012, Piqué formed a rock-solid partnership with Real Madrid’s Sergio Ramos.
ITA
Andrea PIRLO

Blessed with the ability to play passes of surgical precision, coupled with incredible vision and impressive technique, 33-year-old Andrea Pirlo is winning more plaudits than ever before on the back of his midfield mastery. Since moving to Juventus from AC Milan, Pirlo has become a key member of Antonio Conte’s side, leading them to the Italian league title in 2012. Cesare Prandelli also made him captain of impressive EURO 2012 finalists Italy.
ESP
SERGIO RAMOS

Although equally at home at right-back, Sergio Ramos has caught the eye with his performances at centre-half, having been moved there by Real Madrid coach José Mourinho as well as by Spain’s Vicente del Bosque. With his never-say-die attitude, his eye for a counter-attack and his impressive heading ability, he has made a significant contribution to both teams’ success. At EURO 2012, he was a lynchpin of the Spanish defence, particularly against France in the quarters and against Portugal in the semis, when he even pulled off a “Panenka” in the penalty shoot-out.
ENG
Wayne ROONEY

With 14 goals between February and May 2012, Wayne Rooney was indispensable for Manchester United, even though his efforts in front of goal were not quite enough for the Red Devils to hold off the challenge of their cross-city rivals in the race for the title. Rooney’s overall tally of 27 was not enough for him to be crowned as the Premier League’s top goalscorer either, an accolade that went to Robin van Persie with 30, and although he also found the back of the net at EURO 2012, England bowed out at the quarter-final stage. An injury sustained at the start of the new Premier League season kept “Wazza” out for a month, but he bounced back to goalscoring ways with a brace against Stoke City on 20 October.
CIV
Yaya TOURE

Yaya Touré was a key figure in Manchester City’s successful 2011/12 Premier League campaign, acting as the heartbeat, inspiration and driving force behind Roberto Mancini’s champions. Named in the Premier League Team of the Season, the Ivorian midfielder (attacking or defensive, depending on the needs of his coach) scored six goals, including a crucial brace in a 2-0 win over Newcastle United on the penultimate matchday of the season. He also played a major role in Côte d’Ivoire’s qualification for the Africa Cup of Nations 2013, helping the team bounce back from their unfortunate defeat on penalties by Zambia in the final of the 2012 edition.
NED
Robin VAN PERSIE

Although no major team titles came his way in 2012, Robin van Persie was unstoppable in front of goal, finishing as the Premier League’s top scorer with 30 goals for Arsenal. This season, the Dutch striker will be aiming to defend his crown in a Manchester United shirt after his move in August. Since the start of the year, he has scored four braces and two hat-tricks (against Blackburn Rovers for Arsenal in February, and against Southampton for United in September).
ESP
XAVI

Xavi Hernández has now played more league matches for Barcelona than anyone else and also won more trophies – 20 and counting – with the Catalan giants than anyone else before him. Time is showing no sign of affecting this midfield dynamo, who still makes Barcelona and Spain tick by pulling the strings from the centre of the pitch to bring his team-mates into the best possible positions. Although he picked up his fair share of knocks along the way in 2012, he still shone in all of his teams’ major games, not least in the final of EURO 2012 with two crucial assists.