French XI in Ballon d'Or shortlist
World champions France have 11 players on the final shortlist of 50 names in the running for the European Footballer of the Year award.
World champions France have 11 players on the final shortlist of 50 names in the running for the European Footballer of the Year award.
The accolade, awarded annually by France Football magazine, is the most highly-coveted individual award in European football.
From the continent, holder Luis Figo, Zinedine Zidane and Milan's Ukrainian striker Andriy Shevchenko are all serious candidates, as are Stefan Effenberg, Rivaldo, Raul and Alessandro del Piero.
English duo Michael Owen and David Beckham are thought to be among the favourites this time around, with another 13 Premiership stars on the final shortlist.
Rio Ferdinand, Paul Scholes and Steven Gerrard all represent the English national team, along with widely-tipped hot-shot Owen and captain Beckham.
But Patrick Vieira, Robert Pires, Thierry Henry, Fabien Barthez, Marcel Desailly, Ryan Giggs, Juan Sebastian Veron, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, Sami Hyypia and Harry Kewell have also been chosen to represent the game in England.
Prolific Sweden and Celtic star Henrik Larsson is also in the last 50 for the Ballon d'Or, with the winner to be announced on December 18.
The candidates:
Sonny Anderson (Lyon), Roberto Baggio (Brescia), Fabien Barthez (Manchester United), Gabriel Batistuta (Roma), David Beckham (Manchester United), Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus), Cafu (Roma), Vincent Candela (Roma), Eric Carriere (Lyon), Hernan Crespo (Lazio), Alessandro del Piero (Juventus), Marcel Desailly (Chelsea), Stefan Effenberg (Bayern Munich), Giovane Elber (Bayern Munich), Rio Ferdinand (Leeds), Luis Figo (Real Madrid), Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Ryan Giggs (Manchester United), Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink (Chelsea), Ivan Helguera (Real Madrid), Thierry Henry (Arsenal), Sami Hyypia (Liverpool), Oliver Kahn (Bayern Munich), Harry Kewell (Leeds), Patrick Kluivert (Barcelona), Sami Kuffour (Bayern Munich), Henrik Larsson (Celtic), Bixente Lizarazu (Bayern Munich), Gaizka Mendieta (Lazio), Hidetoshi Nakata (Parma), Pavel Nedved (Juventus), Alessandro Nesta (Lazio), Emmanuel Olisadebe (Panathinaikos), Michael Owen (Liverpool), Pauleta (Bordeaux), Robert Pires (Arsenal), Raul (Real Madrid) Rivaldo (Barcelona), Roberto Carlos (Real Madrid), Manuel Rui Costa (Milan), Ebbe Sand (Schalke), Paul Scholes (Manchester United), Andriy Shevchenko (Milan), Lilian Thuram (Juventus), Damiano Tommasi (Roma), Francesco Totti (Roma), David Trezeguet (Juventus), Juan Sebastian Veron (Manchester United), Patrick Vieira (Arsenal), Zinedine Zidane (Real Madrid).