Fifteen forwards shortlisted for FIFA FIFPro World XI

FIFPro, the worldwide players’ union, and FIFA today announced the 15 forwards shortlisted for the FIFA FIFPro World XI 2014 (see list below) to complete the final 55-player shortlist. After the unveiling of the five goalkeepers, 20 defenders and 15 midfielders who made the shortlist, the 15 forwards to be added to it are now also known.

The FIFA FIFPro World XI is decided by the players, for the players. It involves votes from tens of thousands professional footballers worldwide. They select one goalkeeper, four defenders, three midfielders and three forwards.FIFPro and its national affiliates are responsible for gathering votes from professional footballers worldwide. It is the only global award that truly represents the views of those who play the beautiful game. For more information on the voting procedure can be found on the FIFPro website.

The forward shortlist is: (home country / club)

Sergio Aguero (Argentina / Manchester City FC)
Gareth Bale (Wales / Real Madrid CF)
Karim Benzema (France / Real Madrid CF)
Diego Costa (Spain / Chelsea FC)
Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal / Real Madrid CF)
Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Sweden / Paris Saint-Germain FC)
Robert Lewandowski (Poland / FC Bayern München)
Lionel Messi (Argentina / FC Barcelona)
Thomas Muller (Germany / FC Bayern München)
Neymar (Brazil / FC Barcelona)
Marco Reus (Germany / Borussia Dortmund)
Arjen Robben (Netherlands / FC Bayern München)
Franck Ribery (France / FC Bayern München)
Wayne Rooney (England / Manchester United FC)
Luis Suarez (Uruguay / FC Barcelona)

The final FIFA FIFPro World XI will then be announced at the FIFA Ballon d’Or award ceremony at the Kongresshaus in Zurich on 12 January 2015. During the televised ceremony, the winner of the FIFA Ballon d’Or for the best player of 2014 and the winner of the FIFA Women’s World Player of the Year 2014 award will also be revealed, while the FIFA World Coach of the Year awards for men’s and women’s football will be presented for the fifth time. The FIFA Puskás Award for the best goal of the year, the FIFA Presidential Award, and the FIFA Fair Play Award will also be presented during the award ceremony.

Brahimi named African Footballer of the Year

The Algeria star paid tribute to his club and country after being handed the award on Monday

Porto star Yacine Brahimi has been named 2014 BBC African Footballer of the Year.

The midfielder came out on top of the voting on the back of his displays Algeria, who he helped to the last-16 of the World Cup for the first time, as fans from 207 Fifa-registered countries placed their votes.

Brahimi saw off competition from Nigeria star Vincent Enyeama, Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang of Gabon, and Ivory Coast duo Yaya Toure - who was last year's winner - and Gervinho.

"It's a great honour for me to receive this award," he told Porto's official website.

"I want to dedicate the award to Algeria and all of the other African nations. 2014 has been a great year for me and now I will strive to evolve and win trophies for my club Porto."

Brahimi began 2014 in La Liga with Granada, with his performances alerting the Portuguese giants, who promptly sealed a reported €6.5 million deal for the player in July.

Since arriving in Portugal, the 24-year-old has scored six goals in 15 appearances, including a hat-trick in his side's opening Champions League group stage clash with BATE Borisov.

"I have to thank my new club, the players playing with me, the coach and the staff," he added.

Brahimi becomes the first Algerian player to be named African Footballer of the Year and joins an illustrious band of elite names who have lifted the famous prize.

The likes of George Weah, Jay-Jay Okocha, Didier Drogba and Samuel Eto'o are all previous winners, with the trophy adding to another award he received last month, naming him the best African Player in Spain in 2013/14.

Manchester United striker Javier Hernandez eyes first-choice football after Real Madrid snub permanent deal

Javier Hernandez admits he needs first-team football next season.

Real Madrid turned down the services ‘Chicharito’ on a permanent deal with the Mexican striker making ten appearances for the club this season on loan from Manchester United.

Now the Mexican striker is focusing on delivering for the European Champions until May, but has his sights set on more playing time next season.

‘I am fully concentrated on Real Madrid at the moment,’ Hernandez said.

‘We have a big chance to have a really successful season - and when you are fighting for La Liga and The Champions League it is not sensible to concentrate on anybody else.’

Hernandez caught the eye of both Liverpool and Spurs during the summer transfer window, but opted for a glamour temporary switch to the Bernabeu after failing to secure a regular role at Old Trafford.

And the Mexican says he now needs assurances that he will be first choice.

He said: ‘I am not sure what will happen in the summer yet - but whatever happens I need guarantees. I am 26 now - in the summer I will be 27 - I must be at a club where I am going to be playing regularly.

‘Wherever I am playing next season - I will make sure I have those sort of assurances.’

Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi & Manuel Neuer on Ballon d'Or list

Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Manuel Neuer have been named on a three-man shortlist for this year's Ballon d'Or prize, Fifa has announced.

The three were chosen from an initial 23-man list, which included Gareth Bale, and the world player of the year award will be announced on 12 January.

Nadine Kessler (Germany), Marta (Brazil) and Abby Wambach (USA) were shortlisted for the women's award.

Real Madrid forward Ronaldo won the Ballon d'Or in 2013.

Meanwhile, Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti, Germany's World Cup winning boss Joachim Low and Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone are on the shortlist for the Fifa coach of the year.

Portugal international Ronaldo 29, scored 51 goals in the 2013-14 season while helping Real Madrid win the Champions League.

He beat Bayern Munich's Franck Ribery and Barcelona's Messi to the 2013 award.

Four-time winner Messi, 27, won the honour in 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012.

Borussia Dortmund drop to bottom of Bundesliga after Frankfurt loss

It is really a bad time to be a Dortmund fan.

Last season’s runners-up Borussia Dortmund dropped to last place in the Bundesliga on Sunday after their 2-0 loss at Eintracht Frankurt as VfL Wolfsburg tightened their hold on second spot.

Beleaguered Dortmund hit the woodwork and wasted a host of chances in a largely one-sided game but could do nothing to come back from a fifth-minute goal by Bundesliga top scorer Alexander Meier, who took his tally to eight.

Dortmund instantly took control after the setback but missed chance after chance with Henrikh Mkhitaryan failing twice to score from a clear position.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s shot in the 24th minute was blocked by goalkeeper Felix Wiedwald and Kevin Grosskreutz’s rebound shook the post.

Dortmund, Bundesliga champions in 2011 and 2012, could not even score when coach Jürgen Klopp, who will surely start to feel some pressure after years of success, brought on a second striker in Adrián Ramos with the Colombian wasting his share of opportunities.

Instead it was Frankfurt who benefited from yet another defensive error, a mix-up between Matthias Ginter and keeper Roman Weidenfeller, with the defender heading into the path of Haris Seferovic for a simple tap-in.

Dortmund’s eighth loss in 13 league games continued their domestic freefall this season, dropping the 2013 Champions League finalists to last place on 11 points.

Wolfsburg outmuscled direct rivals Borussia Mönchengladbach 1-0 earlier on Sunday to go three points clear in second place and keep leaders Bayern Munich in sight.

Ronaldo: Time for Neymar to become world's best

It is no news that Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are the best footballers in the world today,both have broken world records and do not look like they are quitting the sport anytime soon. However,Neymar has been another player waxing strong and has been urged to wax stronger by Ronaldo (Brazil).

Brazil legend Ronaldo has told Neymar that the time has come for him to step up and take on Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi for the title of best player in the world.

Real Madrid forward Ronaldo and Barcelona's Messi have had a duopoly on the Ballon d'Or over the past six years that is expected to continue into 2015, even though Neymar shone at the 2014 World Cup before an injury killed his and Brazil's hopes of glory.

However, the now-retired Ronaldo - who won the Ballon d'Or twice, in 1997 and 2002 - has called on his 22-year-old compatriot to start taking strides towards becoming the greatest footballer on the planet.

"It's about time Neymar assumed the position of best player in the world," Ronaldo told Brazilian newspaperFolha de Sao Paulo.

"Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi are the best at this time, but Neymar has improved."

Meanwhile, the former Inter, Barca and Real Madrid striker acknowledged that the Selecao are currently in a period of transition, with former superstars such as Kaka and Robinho having gone from world-beaters to big-money flops in a short space of time.

Consequently, he is desperately hoping that Neymar and Brazil's current crop of exciting youngsters do not suffer the same problems in the future.

"Neymar's transfer to Europe has done him a lot of good," Ronaldo mused. "Brazil as a nation, though, is going through a difficult time in every way in administrative terms and in finding talent.

"We have many great players. We live in the hope that Neymar, who is excellent, will become the best in the country, but there have been many times when others with a lot of talent did not make the step up for Brazil.

"For various reasons, the likes of Ronaldinho, Kaka, Adriano and Robinho failed to transfer their talent from my generation to Neymar's."

Ronaldo added that the World Cup 2014 hosts are "hurting" after their semi-final and third-place play-off humiliations to Germany and Netherlands, respectively, but that they can use that pain to drive them on the road to redemption.

On the back of the Selecao responding to this summer's failures with six successive wins, Ronaldo said: "We want to use those memories [from the World Cup] in our favour."

Supporter dies after rival fans clash before game in Madrid

Will hooliganism ever stop amongst football fans?
This is the consequence of rascality and if football fans don't come to embrace this sport for what it truly is,then results like this will continue to rise.

 A supporter died after violent clashes between fans before Atletico Madrid's home match against Deportivo La Coruna.

The unnamed Deportivo fan, 43, was taken out of a river near Atletico's Vincente Calderon Stadium suffering from cardiac arrest, hypothermia and head injuries and died in hospital.

Eleven other people were treated for mostly minor injuries, including a female police officer.

Twenty people were taken into custody with 100 troublemakers identified.

The violence near the stadium was condemned by both clubs and the Spanish league.

Atletico president Enrique Cerezo, speaking before the death of the supporter was announced, told Spanish television: "I want to say that this has nothing to do with football.

The above image shows Deportivo supporters been escorted away from the Vincente Calderon Stadium following the clashes.

"These are radical groups who meet up and these are the consequences."

Deportivo president Tino Fernandez said clubs needed to do more to make sure such incidents were not allowed to happen.

He added: "It's tragic news. I want to express our vehement opposition to violence."

Atletico Madrid won the match 2-0 to record their fifth win in six games and move within four points of La Liga leaders Real Madrid.

Saul Niguez headed the defending champions in front in the 43rd-minute before Arda Turan sealed victory 10 minutes into the second half.

The win took Atletico into second place in the table before Barcelona's evening kick-off away to Valencia.