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FIFA GOLDEN BALL NOMINEES


Fifa have announced the candidates for the World Cup Golden Ball - the award given to the best player of the finals.

Finalists Spain and Holland dominate the ten-strong list with five players between them. David Villa, Xavi and Andres Iniesta make up the Spanish contingent with Wesley Sneijder and Arjen Robben as the Dutch representatives.

Xavi could gain his second major tournament award in a row if he is named the winner after being named the best player in Spain's victorious 2008 European Championship campaign.

World Cup Golden Ball nominees: 
David Villa, Xavi, Andres Iniesta (Spain)
Wesley Sneijder, Arjen Robben (Holland)
Bastian Schweinsteiger, Mesut Ozil (Germany)
Diego Forlan (Uruguay)
Asamoah Gyan (Ghana)
Lionel Messi (Argentina).

The announcement of the winner will be made after Sunday's final, where they will follow in the footsteps of Zinedine Zidane, who won the award in 2006.

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