One Argentine at least is in the running to win something at the South Africa 2010 World Cup. FIFA’s ten-man shortlist for the Golden Ball, awarded to the tournament’s best player, has been announced, and although he didn’t score the governing body’s technical team have included Lionel Messi in the list, along with his Barcelona team-mates Xavi Hernández, Andrés Iniesta and David Villa. La Pulga is taking a well-deserved beach break in Rio de Janeiro as I type, but will be back in action soon, playing a UNICEF charity match he’s organised.
Messi’s shortlisting by FIFA just confirms that he’s been far better and more well-accepted by the team during this World Cup than he’d previously looked for Argentina, and offers the side a lot of hope for the future, I would think. It’s also recognition of the fact that his lack of goals, at times, came from truly inspired performances from opposing goalkeepers and (on one occasion) from Carlos Tevez poaching a shot from him that already looked like it was heading in, to me at least. Messi is in Rio with his girlfriend for a couple of days before heading to Panama on Wednesday for a friendly between a ‘Rest Of The World XI’ and a ‘Friends Of Lionel Messi’ team for UNICEF. There’ll be another charity match, in Sao Paulo, before he heads back to Barcelona to start pre-season training on the 1st August.
The rest of the shortlist for the FIFA award is: Xavi; Andrés Iniesta; David Villa (all Spain); Arjen Robben, Wesley Sneijder (both Netherlands); Diego Forlán (Uruguay); Asamoah Gyan (Ghana); Mesut Özil, and Bastian Schweinsteiger (both Germany).
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Hasta El Gol Siempre 
If Messi is shortlisted….where is Rooney ??
hola messi!! ni te imaginas el super aguate que tenes aca en san juan te amamos mucho!!.
sos una super estrella, apesar que quedamos afuera, vimos y sentimos todo su esfuerzo.
te amo mucho con toda nuestra alma. besitos y espero tu respuesta.
Wish him best of luck and wish he gets it
From Futbolpasion.com:
“Opening 2010/11: fixtures will be announced on Tuesday 13
Jul 8. Next Tuesday 13 night, AFA will announce the fixtures for the Opening 2010/11 championship. which begin on Friday, August 6th. Rumors about week 1 say: River-Godoy Cruz, Quilmes-Boca, Vélez-Independiente, Racing-Argentinos, All Boys-Arsenal, Huracán-Lanús, Banfield-San Lorenzo, Gimnasia-Newell’s, Colón-Estudiantes, Olimpo-Tigre. Superclásico would take place in week 14..”
And I say: Rumours, what rumours.
FIFA’s wicked sense of humour.
Another proof of FIFA’s wicked sense of humor.
Messi certainly deserves to be on the short list, but that’s a far cry from winning the award. My bet would be that it will go to one of the three players from Spain, but which one is a toss up. They played well collectively, and none really out played the others.
Sane could be said about the Netherlands, though the fact that they had a large part in turning the final into a card fest was disappointing.
The right man won it.
Wish him best of luck and praying that he’ll make it… He deserves it!!!
Hey, yesterday Messi played a friendly game in Panamá and scored three times!
Who said he only highlights in Barcelona, surrounded by stars that play only for him?
Yesterday in a terrible and hard match like the one it was disputed in Panama, this Mecca of the futbol, this scenery of the best soccer in the world, he demonstrates he can stand out and and distinguish like the true argentine idol he is!
Beware Diego, here comes Messi to dethrone you..!!