Sport highlights

FIFA announced today, the 23  nominees for  the 2009 title, the winner will be revealed on December 21 in Zurich. Of the 23 football players, Captains and national team managers affiliated to  FIFA will vote five players, and only  five football players will remain for the final showdown in Zurich.

1. Michael Ballack – Germany
2. Gianluigi Buffon – Italy
3. Iker Casillas – Spain
4. Cristiano Ronaldo – Portugal
5. Diego – Brazil
6. Didier Drogba – Ivory Coast
7. Michael Essien – Ghana
8. Samuel Eto’o – Cameroon
9. Steven Gerrard – England
10. Thierry Henry – France
11. Zlatan Ibrahimovic – Sweden
12. Andres Iniesta – Spain
13. Kaka – Brazil
14. Frank Lampard – England
15. Luis Fabiano – Brazil
16. Lionel Messi – Argentina
17. Carles Puyol – Spain
18. Franck Ribéry – France
19. Wayne Rooney – England
20. John Terry – England
21. Fernando Torres – Spain
22. David Villa – Spain
23. Xavi – Spain

British police prevented thousands of fans to buy fake tickets to the 2010 World Championships, but nevertheless thousands of supporters around the world have been deceived, inform the online edition of the newspaper The Times.
Authorities have closed about 100 sites, 20 of them in Britain. But FIFA officials fear that such crimes are becoming more with the approach start of competition. In South Africa are expected around 500,000 fans.
Thousands of supporters have already paid tickets there and authorities of each country are announced if people are found selling bogus tickets.
FIFA expects to sell 3 million tickets in total for the 64 parties. The first tranche have been 630,000 in ticket sales, and English fans have bought 43,000 of them.