Ronaldo will hope to add the award to his FIFPro player of the year award

Cristiano Ronaldo, Fernando Torres and Deco are among 10 Premier League players on the 23-man shortlist for the Fifa World Player of the Year award.

Frank Lampard, John Terry, Michael Ballack, Didier Drogba, Emmanuel Adebayor, Cesc Fabregas and Steven Gerrard are the others.

The award is decided by a poll of national team captains and coaches.

A shortlist of three will be revealed in December, with the winner announced at a ceremony in Zurich in January.

PREVIOUS FIFA WORLD PLAYERS OF THE YEAR: 1991: Lothar Matthaeus (Ger) 1992: Marco Van Basten (Ned) 1993: Roberto Baggio (Ita) 1994: Romario (Brz) 1995: George Weah (Lib) 1996: Ronaldo (Brz) 1997: Ronaldo (Brz) 1998: Zinedine Zidane (Fra) 1999: Rivaldo (Brz) 2000: Zinedine Zidane (Fra) 2001: Luis Figo (Por) 2002: Ronaldo (Brz) 2003: Zinedine Zidane (Fra) 2004: Ronaldinho (Brz) 2005: Ronaldinho (Brz) 2006: Fabio Cannavaro (Ita) 2007: Kaka (Brz)

Other names on the list include Barcelona's Samuel Eto'o and last year's winner and runner-up, Brazilian Kaka and Argentina's Lionel Messi.

Newly crowned FIFPro world player of the year, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Messi are expected to be two of the front-runners for this year's honour.

The list comprises three African players, three South Americans and 20 Europeans.

A 10-name shortlist for the Fifa women's world player of the year award has also been published, including Arsenal's Kelly Smith and Brazil's Marta, who is aiming to win the award for the third year running.

Fifa world player of the year 2008 shortlist:

Emmanuel Adebayor (Togo), Sergio Aguero (Argentina), Andrei Arshavin (Russia), Michael Ballack (Germany), Gianluigi Buffon (Italy), Iker Casillas (Spain), Deco (Portugal), Didier Drogba (Ivory Coast), Samuel Eto'o (Cameroon), Cesc Fabregas (Spain), Steven Gerrard (England), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Sweden), Andres Iniesta (Spain), Kaka (Brazil), Frank Lampard (England), Lionel Messi (Argentina), Franck Ribery (France), Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal), John Terry (England), Fernando Torres (Spain), Ruud van Nistelrooy (Netherlands), David Villa (Spain) and Xavi (Spain).

Fifa women's world player of the year 2008 shortlist:

Nadine Angerer (Germany), Shannon Boxx (USA), Cristiane (Brazil), Daniela (Brazil), Marta (Brazil), Birgit Prinz (Germany), Christine Sinclair (Canada), Kelly Smith (England), Hope Solo (USA) and Ingvild Stensland (Norway).

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