Messi, Xavi, Ronaldo shortlisted for 2011 Fifa Ballon d'OrDecember 5, 2011 - 15:54 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Lionel Messi, Xavi and Cristiano Ronaldo have been shortlisted for the 2011 Fifa Ballon d'Or, Fifa and France Football have announced. Messi – who won the inaugural award last year after Fifa's world player of the year crown and France Football's Ballon d'Or prize merged – is once again the favorite after another stunning season at Barcelona in which he scored 53 goals. The forward was Barc's top scorer as Pep Guardiola's side retained the Spanish title and reclaimed the Champions League trophy with a comprehensive defeat of Manchester United. Xavi was the architect of many of Messi's goals as the veteran maintained his position as arguably the finest midfielder in world football, while Ronaldo also scored 53 times for Real Madrid as they finished runners-up in Spain and lost out to Barca in the Champions League semi-finals. The winners will be announced at an awards ceremony in Zurich in January next year, The Guardian reported. Top stories Armenian gymnast, Olympic bronze medalist Artur Davtyan has reached the finals of the World Cup. Gor Manvelyan has denied reports alleging that he has expressed a desire to one day play for the French national team. Roma midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan is not considering FC Spartak Moscow as his next haven, according to fresh reports. 10 Armenian lifters will compete in the 2021 World Championships scheduled to be held from 7 to 17 December in Tashkent. Partner news | Russia provides info about arrested Armenian ex-MP Russian law enforcement agencies have provided information about the arrest of Tigran Urikhanyan. Lemkin Institue slams Pashinyan's “cryptic engagement with Genocide denial” The Lemkin Institute is alarmed over Pashinyan’s statements “questioning Armenia's legal basis to pursue justice against Turkey”. 41 detained as antigovernment protests continue in Yerevan 41 people were detained in Yerevan as people demanding Pashinian’s resignation stage campaigns of civil disobedience. Armenia votes for UN resolution granting Palestine new rights The U.N. General Assembly voted by a wide margin on May 10 to grant new “rights and privileges” to Palestine. |