The World Cup Golden Ball Nominees: Who's Deserving, Who Isn't

JOHANNESBURG -- FIFA has unveiled the 10 adidas Golden Ball nominees for the award given to the World Cup's most outstanding player. While it's no surprise that some of the inclusions and omissions are pretty puzzling -- several winners over the years have been downright bizarre -- there really are only two or three legitimate candidates for the award.

That doesn't mean one of them will get it, however. The 10 players were selected by FIFA's Technical Study Group, a collection of "football experts" comprised of former players, coaches and officials. The media will vote on the final winner, and if the past is any indication, which it often is, they'll get it wrong.

So, even though Lionel Messi will probably win, here's a rundown of the 10 nominees (in the order they were listed by FIFA) and a look at their chances, measured from one to five Golden Jabulanis. The winner will be announced after Sunday's final between Spain and the Netherlands.

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DIEGO FORLÁN, URUGUAY

Surprise semifinalist Uruguay certainly deserves a player or two on the list, but the Atlético Madrid marksman is the only representative. He certainly warrants his place, however, and should finish near the top in the voting. Forlán, 31, has removed any reservations that he's a world class player, scoring four goals (tied for second) and proving to be a consistent threat both from the run of play and free kicks. His two-goal performance against South Africa in the first round drew raves even among disappointed Bafana Bafana fans, and he scored Uruguay's only goals in the quarterfinal and semifinal.

3 out of 5 Golden Jabulanis

ASAMOAH GYAN, GHANA

With room for 10 nominees there had to be an African, and it makes sense to include the Black Star striker who tallied three of his team's five World Cup goals. His dramatic overtime finish against the U.S. in the round-of-16 was one of the goals of the tournament, and a highlight for everyone except the Americans. Most of Gyan's tournament revolved around the penalty spot, however. He converted twice in the first round and in the quarterfinal shootout against Uruguay, but his historic overtime miss in the same game was a gag job that will be remembered forever. He's the Roberto Baggio of 2010.

1 out of 5 Golden Jabulanis

ANDRÉS INIESTA, SPAIN

Great player, lousy choice. Iniesta certainly benefited from the enormous amount of talent around him as he took a few games to recover from injury and find his form. He missed the group-stage game against Honduras, scored the winner against Chile and then was ever-present in the Spanish midfield during the knockout rounds. He's filled a key role, but has not been playing the sort of soccer that's going to be talked about years from now. Golden Ball winners should boast transcendent performances -- Iniesta's been merely very good on a great team.

3 out of 5 Golden Jabulanis

LIONEL MESSI, ARGENTINA

A ludicrous selection. Golden Ball winners don't exit World Cups in tears, and Messi's nomination is practically an insult to a player of his skill and stature. He knows he didn't play anywhere close to his capabilities here in South Africa, despite his best effort, and pretending otherwise just makes the Technical Study Group look stupid. Messi is the best player in the world. But that's not what this award is for.

1 out of 5 Golden Jabulanis

MESUT ÖZIL, GERMANY

Thrust into the midfield spotlight when captain Michael Ballack was injured just before the tournament, the 21-year-old Werder Bremen playmaker led Germany's five-man midfield with aplomb. He's crafty, skillful and performed with a confidence that belied his age in helping the Germans to the semifinals. He scored the only goal in the first-round win over Ghana and helped set up several tallies in the knockout rounds. He won't win the Golden Ball -- in fact he wasn't even the best player in the German midfield -- but he's a name to watch for the future and may already be in the running for an even bigger prize. Word is on Friday that Manchester United is looking to sign him.

2 out of 5 Golden Jabulanis

ARJEN ROBBEN, NETHERLANDS

Similar to Iniesta, Robben was a player who took a couple of games to get going. In fact, he played only 17 minutes in the first round. Since then, the threat he presents on the right, both on the dribble and shooting from distance, has been a key element in Holland's run to the final. Robben, 26, scored two really nice goals against Slovakia and Uruguay, has been a constant menace and has kept the theatrics to an acceptable minimum. Still, he hasn't done enough over the course of the entire competition to warrant the award.

3 out of 5 Golden Jabulanis

BASTIAN SCHWEINSTEIGER, GERMANY

A veteran at 25, the Bayern Munich midfielder managed something almost impossible here in South Africa -- he changed the world's perceptions about him with his performance. Schweinsteiger was a rebel, and his wild behavior once even prompted a lecture from German Chancellor Angela Merkel. A couple of years later he has evolved into the tireless, team-first player who wreaked such havoc on England and Argentina. But like Özil, Schweinsteiger wasn't the best player on Germany either -- that honor goes to the un-nominated Thomas Müller. And he was out of his depth against Spain.

3 out of 5 Golden Jabulanis

WESLEY SNEIJDER, NETHERLANDS

As of Friday, the most deserving nominee. A year ago, Sneijder's role on this Dutch team wasn't even entirely defined, but after winning the treble with Inter Milan and steering Holland to six consecutive victories in this World Cup, Sneijder, 26, now must be considered a player at the same level as Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaká. His consistency, composure and skill have been the critical component of his team's run to the final, and he was especially brilliant in the quarterfinals against Brazil, scoring two goals and directing an attack that had the mighty Seleção on their heels for nearly the entire second half. His five goals leave him tied for first overall with Spain's David Villa. Which brings us to ...

5 out of 5 Golden Jabulanis

DAVID VILLA, SPAIN

Villa's five goals, many of which have been clutch, spectacular, or both, have catapulted Spain to its first World Cup final and made the 28-year-old Barcelona signing one of the favorites to take home the Golden Ball. While forward partner Fernando Torres was flailing to the point where Spain coach Vicente Del Bosque had no choice but to bench him, Villa has been lethal. Spain's possession game has been getting into gear and was awesome against Germany, but Villa was the only one finishing. La Furia Roja still has only seven goals and would not be playing Sunday without him. His devastating run against Honduras and 45-yard curler against Chile will be replayed for years.

5 out of 5 Golden Jabulanis

XAVI HERNÁNDEZ, SPAIN

We're all so used to Xavi's excellence by now that we almost forget that Spain, and Barcelona, owe so much of their recent success to the quiet 30-year-old playmaker. He was the best player at the 2008 European Championship, the architect of the blaugrana side that won an unprecedented six trophies in 2009 and he was so good against Germany in Wednesday's semifinal that even Paul the Octopus, with his eight legs and clairvoyance, could not have stolen the ball from Spain. Xavi isn't flashy and he's scored only eight goals in nearly 100 national team appearances, but he's easily the world's most intelligent player. His technical excellence and ability to keep the rhythm for Spain's peerless midfield sets him apart. Sneijder, Villa and Forlán have been more spectacular, but Xavi would be a decent choice.

4 out of 5 Golden Jabulanis

THE SNUBS

Even though he missed the semifinal, Germany's Müller belongs on this list. Spain defender Gerard Piqué has been outstanding, demonstrating some surprising skill to go along with his resolute work in back. He would have been a nice addition and probably warrants a place over Iniesta. Holland's Dirk Kuyt has been fantastic, and his work ethic and threatening runs and crosses from the left have been a winning complement to Sneijder's work in the middle. It's shocking that no Brazilian made the list. The favorites had one bad half, and it resulted in their elimination. But defenders Maicon and Lucio were brilliant and at least one should have been listed above. It's not their fault that Dunga and Kaká couldn't get the best out of Brazil.

THE VOTE

FanHouse has a vote, and right now we're leaning toward Sneijder. He has far less talent to work with than either Xavi or Villa, and he's led the Netherlands to a perfect 6-0-0 record with his accurate passing, nose for goal and effective on-field leadership. Do you agree? Should we vote differently? Let us know.