The 2010 World Cup Golden Ball nominees were announced on July 9 by FIFA’s General Secretary Jerome Valcke along with adidas CEO Herbert Hainer. The Golden Ball trophy is awarded to the best player of the World Cup tournament. The 10 players who were nominated were chosen by FIFA’s Technical Study Group, which includes soccer experts Jomo Sono, Kalusha Bwalya, Gerard Houllier, and Christian Karembeu.

The nominees are: Diego Forlan of Uruguay, Asamoah Gyan of Ghana, Andres Iniesta of Spain, Lionel Messi of Argentina, Mesut Oezil of Germany, Arjen Robben of Holland, Bastian Schweinsteiger of Germany, Wesley Sneijder of Holland, David Villa of Spain and Xavi of Spain.

The winners of the Golden Ball, as well as the silver and bronze balls are voted on by accredited media representatives. The winners of the three trophies will be announced following the World Cup Final on 11 July.

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Diego Forlan – Uruguay – Striker

Forlan has led his team’s attack with four goals and still has a chance to take the Golden Boot as well for the tournament’s top scorer. He’s an excellent player when it comes to passing, set pieces and scoring.

Asamoah Gyan – Ghana – Striker

Gyan led Ghana with three goals. He’s physically strong and fast, with a good work rate. He’s also a good dribbler and constantly causes trouble for defenders.

Andres Iniesta – Spain – Midfielder

Iniesta’s strengths lie in his ball handling, dribbling, and attacking skills. He’s one of the midfield engines that drive Spain.

Lionel Messi – Argentina – Forward

Messi didn‘t score in the tournament, but still showed fantastic offensive flair. He has speed and creativity along with fine shooting, passing, and dribbling skills.

Mesut Oezil – Germany – Midfielder

This young midfielder had a goal and showed a lot of promise for the future as he reads the game so well. He’s fast and creative and an excellent passer of the ball.

Arjen Robben – Holland – Forward

Robben possesses great speed and dribbling skills. He’s a fine crosser of the ball and scores his share of goals, with two in the tournament so far.

Bastian Schweinsteiger – Germany – Midfielder

Schweinsteiger is a great passer and ball winner. He’s also got the confidence and skills to make runs with the ball and take defenders on.

Wesley Sneijder – Holland – Midfielder

Sneijder can do it all from his midfield position, including scoring from long range. He has five goals in the tournament and is tied with Spain’s David Villa for the Golden Boot going into the final game.

David Villa – Spain – Forward

Villa’s as smooth as they come and is an excellent finisher. His five goals so far in South Africa are tops in the tournament along with Holland’s Wesley Sneijder five. He’s fast, good with both feet, and not afraid to take on defenders.

Xavi – Spain – Midfielder

Like his teammate Iniesta, Xavi is another one of the Spanish engines as he reads the game expertly and his passing is second to none.