Four England internationals have made the shortlist for the Fifa world player of the year award.
Wayne Rooney, John Terry, Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard are among the 30 players in the running.
From that list national team coaches and captains will vote for their top three players, to be revealed at Fifa's world player gala on 17 December.
AC Milan's Kaka is the favourite to win the award for the first time, ahead of Barcelona's Lionel Messi.
Chelsea have five nominees for the Fifa award, behind only Barcelona who have seven.
There are five Italian players in the final 30, including current world player of the year Fabio Cannavaro.
Brazil star Kaka, 25, is the current FIFPro world player of the year - an award voted for by 45,000 members of the players' union.
He was instrumental in Milan's Champions League success last season, sealed with a win over Liverpool in the final, and he was the competition's top scorer with 10 goals including three in the semi-final win over Manchester United.
Kaka was the subject of an unsuccessful bid from Real Madrid in the close season, but he has hinted that if he did leave Italy he would like to play in Spain or England.
He told Esquire magazine: "I'm very happy at Milan - and I don't expect that situation to change.
"But if you want to talk hypothetically, if I were ever to leave it would have to be for a club of equal stature - and I think I would only find that in England or Spain.
"Manchester United are a wonderful side. I like Arsenal, too."
World player of the year list: Buffon (Juventus, Italy), Cannavaro (Real Madrid, Italy), Cech (Chelsea, Czech Rep), Ronaldo (Man Utd, Portugal), Deco (Barcelona, Portugal), Drogba (Chelsea, Ivory Coast), Essien (Chelsea, Ghana), Eto'o (Barcelona, Cameroon), Gattuso (AC Milan, Italy), Gerrard (Liverpool, England), Henry (Barcelona, France), Juninho (Lyon, Brazil), Kaka (AC Milan, Brazil), Klose (Bayern Munich, Germany), Lahm (Bayern Munich, Germany), Lampard (Chelsea, England), Marquez (Barcelona, Mexico), Messi (Barcelona, Argentina), Nesta (AC Milan, Italy), Pirlo (AC Milan, Italy), Ribery (Bayern Munich, France), Riquelme (Villarreal, Argentina), Ronaldinho (Barcelona, Brazil), Rooney (Man Utd, England), Terry (Chelsea, England), Tevez (Man Utd, Argentina), Thuram (Barcelona, France), Torres (Liverpool, Spain), Van Nistelrooy (Real Madrid, Holland), Vieira (Inter Milan, France).
~RS~q~RS~~RS~z~RS~01~RS~)