Wayne Rooney is the only English player named on the 23-man shortlist for the 2011 Ballon d'Or, while Lionel Messi is up for a hat-trick of Ballon d'Or trophies, winning the prestigious award in 2009 and 2010.

So the 23 players nominated for Ballon d'Or this year are:

Eric Abidal (France)
Sergio Aguero (Argentina)
Karim Benzema (France)
Iker Casillas (Spain)
Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)
Dani Alves (Brazil)
Samuel Eto'o (Cameroon)
Cesc Fabregas (Spain)
Diego Forlan (Uruguay)
Andres Iniesta (Spain)
Lionel Messi (Argentina)
Thomas Muller (Germany)
Nani (Portugal)
Neymar (Brazil)
Mesut Ozil (Germany)
Gerard Pique (Spain)
Wayne Rooney (England)
Bastian Schweinsteiger (Germany)
Wesley Sneijder (Netherlands)
Luis Suarez (Uruguay)
David Villa (Spain)
Xabi Alonso (Spain)
Xavi (Spain)

While 10 Coach nominees are:

Vicente Del Bosque (Spain/Spain national team)
Sir Alex Ferguson (Scotland/Manchester United)
Rudi Garcia (France/Lille OSC)
Pep Guardiola (Spain/Barcelona)
Jurgen Klopp (Germany/Borussia Dortmund)
Joachim Low (Germany/Germany national team)
Jose Mourinho (Portugal/Real Madrid)
Oscar Tabarez (Uruguay/Uruguay national team)
Arsene Wenger (France/Arsenal)
Andre Villas-Boas (Portugal/Chelsea)(Nominated for his success with FC Porto)

And the Previous Winners are:

1956 Stanley Matthews (While Playing for Blackpool)
1957 Alfredo Di Stefano (While Playing for Real Madrid)
1958 Raymond Kopa (While Playing for Real Madrid)
1959 Alfredo Di Stefano (While Playing for Real Madrid)
1960 Luis Suarez Miramontes (While Playing for Barcelona)
1961 Omar Sivori (While Playing for Juventus)
1962 Josef Masopust (While Playing for Dukla Prague)
1963 Lev Yashin (While Playing for Dynamo Moscow)
1964 Denis Law (While Playing for Manchester United)
1965 Eusebio (While Playing for Benfica)
1966 Bobby Charlton (While Playing for Manchester United)
1967 Florian Albert (While Playing for Ferencvárosi TC)
1968 George Best (While Playing for Manchester United)
1969 Gianni Rivera (While Playing for AC Milan)
1970 Gerd Mueller (While Playing for Bayern Munich)
1971 Johan Cruyff (While Playing for Ajax)
1972 Franz Beckenbauer (While Playing for Bayern Munich)
1973 Johan Cruyff (While Playing for Ajax)
1974 Johan Cruyff (While Playing for Ajax)
1975 Oleg Blokhin (While Playing for Dynamo Kyiv)
1976 Franz Beckenbauer (While Playing for Bayern Munich)
1977 Allan Simonsen (While in Borussia Mönchengladbach)
1978 Kevin Keegan (While Playing for Hamburger SV)
1979 Kevin Keegan (While Playing for Hamburger SV)
1980 Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (While Playing for Bayern Munich)
1981 Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (While Playing for Bayern Munich)
1982 Paolo Rossi (While Playing for Juventus)
1983 Michel Platini (While Playing for Juventus)
1984 Michel Platini (While Playing for Juventus)
1985 Michel Platini (While Playing for Juventus)
1986 Igor Belanov (While Playing for Dynamo Kyiv)
1987 Ruud Gullit (While Playing for AC Milan)
1988 Marco van Basten (While Playing for AC Milan)
1989 Marco van Basten (While Playing for AC Milan)
1990 Lothar Matthaeus (While Playing for Inter Milan)
1991 Jean-Pierre Papin (While Playing for Marseille)
1992 Marco van Basten (While Playing for AC Milan)
1993 Roberto Baggio (While Playing for Juventus)
1994 Hristo Stoichkov (While Playing for Barcelona)
1995 George Weah (While Playing for AC Milan)
1996 Matthias Sammer (While Playing for Borussia Dortmund)
1997 Ronaldo (While Playing for Barcelona)
1998 Zinedine Zidane (While Playing for Juventus)
1999 Rivaldo (While Playing for Barcelona)
2000 Luis Figo (While Playing for Barcelona)
2001 Michael Owen (While Playing for Liverpool)
2002 Ronaldo (While Playing for Inter Milan)
2003 Pavel Nedved (While Playing for Juventus)
2004 Andriy Shevchenko (While Playing for AC Milan)
2005 Ronaldinho (While Playing for Barcelona)
2006 Fabio Cannavaro (While Playing for Juventus)
2007 Kaka (While Playing for AC Milan)
2008 Cristiano Ronaldo (While Playing for Manchester United)
2009 Lionel Messi (While Playing for Barcelona)
2010 Lionel Messi (While Playing for Barcelona)

My Prediction: I think they will give the award to Messi once again this year, which will mean, he'll get Ballon d'Or for the third successive season. In the past only Michel Platini won the award 3 times in a row. As for the coach, the 2011 winner should be Pep Guardiola.

Why would they nominate Arsene Wenger? Should be King Kenny instead of him!

Andre Villas-Boas should get the coach award, he didn't loose any games with Porto and won all the trophies possible!

at the end it will be between Messi, C. Ronaldo and maybe Neymar and Messi will win!

Messi and Pep 100%

Cristiano Ronaldo will win it because he broke the goals record last season

England - "The home of football" and only one player nominated, that's a bit pathetic! My votes will go for Cristiano Ronaldo and Andre Villas-Boas.

Clearly UEFA will give it to Messi and Pep Guardiola

I know many Arsenal fans are wondering why RVP is not nominated, and the answer is because these nominations are for 2010/11 Season, and last season Van Persie didn't do crap! but if he continue to play like he plays right now, I'm sure he'll be nominated next year! The only surprise here is, why the hell did UEFA decide to nominate Arsene Wenger for the coach of the year??

@BavariaFC Just because he broke the La Liga Goal Record in a season it means he will be the winner of Ballon d'Or ? Hahaha You're making me laugh...

@Zinedine_Zidane You are a MADRIDISTA no wonder why you pick C.Ronaldo ...

@Buffon Maybe next year he will be on the list...

Its obvious who will be the Ballon d'Or its MESSI...

Thanks for this post! Really nice! hopefully RVP will make the list next time...

great post

I just want Xavi to win for once! DANG. Is that so hard? If you're not a goal scoring midfielder or a forward you're never gonna get it. The only exception is Cannavaro, I'm glad he got it in '06. He's a defender who truly deserved it. I don't think Rooney deserves to be on the shortlist, last season was nothing compared to his season before.

I agree with the user above me! Xavi should win it! Legendary CM!

for the coaches, it's definitaly redknapp or kenny daligish.

@Jaewon how can you say definitely if both of them are not even nominated ? Are you blind ?

This year will be a great year. I think maybe C.ronaldo or Neymar they are very good but who knows maybe it could be Messi for the 3th time.. And i think that maybe Guardiola or Mourinho or Villas-Boas could win as coaches but it could be somebody els.. Football is the best sport ive ever seen :)

Messi and Guardiola for their awards, probably by a wide margin. I would like to see Xavi win it, but if he didnt get last year probably wont this year. Wouldnt mind Villas-Boas winning this year, definitely deserving of the award.

they should give it to ronaldo because u realize how hard it is for someone to stay with that swag he ha, all the girls he gets and still be a top player? neymar and messi get no bitches and have no swag.

You know we could all talk for hours on this topic but the truth is only the player with the most goals rather then better all round ability wins this award these days. That being said I personally feel either Xavi or Iniesta should get the award. I couldn't believe Iniesta didn't get it last season. Also I'm really shocked that Pique and Abidal are on the list.

I'd be really happy to see Ronaldo win as well. He is THE entertainer in La Liga! Though I know Messi will get more attention.