Buffon, Casillas Make Shortlist For World XI Again
Juventus' Gianluigi Buffon(L) and Real Madrid's Iker Casillas
Goalkeepers Iker Casillas and Gianluigi Buffon who both featured in the 2012 EURO finals are again on the five-man goalkeeping shortlist for the World XI to be announced at the Ballon d’Or gala early next year.
Others in the list include Chelsea’s Petr Cech also nominated for a sixth time, joining Manchester City’s Joe Hart and Bayern Munich’s Manuel Neuer on the five-man goalkeeping shortlist.
The Juventus keeper Buffon and Real Madrid’s Casillas both enjoyed league-winning seasons with their clubs and appeared in the Euro 2012 final, with Casillas enjoying another European Championship title with Spain.
Casillas has won a place in the World XI for the past four years, while Buffon won the award in 2006 and 2007.
The list, released by the worldwide players’ union FIFPro and football’s world governing body Fifa Monday, will be followed during the next two weeks by shortlists for other positions.
The final 55-player shortlist will be announced in Sao Paulo, Brazil on November 29. The final World XI will be announced at the Ballon d’Or Gala at the Zurich Kongresshaus on January 7, when the world player of the year will also be announced.
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