Two Africans on FIFA Ballon d'Or list

The annual award, which chooses the best footballer in the world from the last 12 months, will be announced on January 7 2013 but a preliminary three man shortlist will be drawn up by the end of November 2012.

Votes will be cast by 209 coaches, captains of national teams and 49 journalists from France Football, the magazine that originally created the Ballon d’Or.

Full list

Sergio Aguero (Argentina, Manchester City), Mario Balotelli (Italy, Manchester City), Karim Benzema (France, Real Madrid), Gianluigi Buffon (Italy, Juventus), Sergio Busquets (Spain, FC Barcelona), Iker Casillas (Spain, Real Madrid), Didier Drogba (Ivory Coast, Chelsea and Shanghai Shenhua), 

Others are; Radamel Falcao (Colombia Atletico Madrid), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Sweden AC Milan, and Paris-SG), Andrés Iniesta (Spain, FC Barcelona), Lionel Messi (Argentina FC Barcelona), Manuel Neuer (Germany, Bayern Munich), Neymar (Brazil, Santos), Mesut Özil (Germany, Real Madrid), Gerard Piqué (Spain FC Barcelona), Andrea Pirlo (Italy, Juventus), Sergio Ramos (Spain, Real Madrid), 

The list also includes; Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal Real Madrid), Wayne Rooney ( England, Manchester United), Yaya Toure (Ivory Coast Manchester City), Robin Van Persie (Holland, Manchester United, Arsenal), Xabi Alonso (Spain Real Madrid), Xavi Hernandez (Spain, FC Barcelona).