FIFA has turned to the leadership of the world's national teams - both those wearing the captain's armband on the pitch and the guiding master technicians on the touch line - to select the "best of the best" for 2007.

FIFA has today announced the names of the nominees for the title of FIFA World Player of the Year and FIFA Women's World Player of the Year 2007, for whom the captains and head coaches of the men's and women's national teams will cast their vote (see below). At the beginning of December, FIFA will announce the names of the three men and women who have received the most votes and the winners will be revealed at the 17th FIFA World Player Gala at the Zurich Opera House on 17 December.

The lists of 30 male and 26 female candidates for these prestigious awards have been drawn up by football experts from the Technical and Development Committee, the Football Committee, the Committee for Women's Football and the FIFA Women's World Cup as well as women's football specialists on other FIFA committees.

The following 30 men (in alphabetical order) are in contention for the title of FIFA World Player of the Year 2007:

Gianluigi Buffon (Italy), Fabio Cannavaro (Italy), Petr Cech (Czech Republic), Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal), Deco (Portugal), Didier Drogba (Côte d'Ivoire), Michael Essien (Ghana), Samuel Eto'o (Cameroon), Gennaro Gattuso (Italy), Steven Gerrard (England), Thierry Henry (France), Juninho (Brazil), Kaká (Brazil), Miroslav Klose (Germany), Philipp Lahm (Germany), Frank Lampard (England), Rafael Márquez (Mexico), Lionel Messi (Argentina), Alessandro Nesta (Italy), Andrea Pirlo (Italy), Franck Ribéry (France), Juan Román Riquelme (Argentina), Ronaldinho (Brazil), Wayne Rooney (England), John Terry (England), Carlos Tévez (Argentina), Lilian Thuram (France), Fernando Torres (Spain), Ruud van Nistelrooy (Netherlands) and Patrick Vieira (France).

The following 26 women (in alphabetical order) are in contention for the title of FIFA Women's World Player of the Year 2007:

Nadine Angerer (Germany), Adjoa Bayor (Ghana), Cristiane (Brazil), Daniela (Brazil), Lisa de Vanna (Australia), Formiga (Brazil), Christie George (Nigeria), Ragnhild Gulbrandsen (Norway), Duan Han (China), Ariane Hingst (Germany), Jie Li (China), Kristine Lilly (USA), Renate Lingor (Germany), Marta (Brazil), Perpetua Nkwocha (Nigeria), Bente Nordby (Norway), Cathrine Paaske Sörensen (Denmark), Birgit Prinz (Germany), Un Suk Ri (Korea DPR), Christine Sinclair (Canada), Kelly Smith (England), Rebecca Smith (New Zealand), Ane Stangeland Horpestad (Norway), Kerstin Stegemann (Germany), Ingvild Stensland (Norway) and Abby Wambach (USA).

For handy downloadable lists and FIFA.com's review of the selections, click on the link to the right.