Zurich: Fifa have announced that Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta and Xavi have all made the final three-man shortlist to win the Ballon d'Or, making it a hat-trick of sorts for Barcelona.
The diminutive Argentine is widely considered as one of the best footballers on the planet, and managed to score 49 goals at club level last term. Of these, 35 of them came from 30 starts in the Primera Division, while eight more goals were scored in the Champions League.
But by his own high standards, the 23-year-old had an unremarkable World Cup, as he went without scoring as Argentina eventually went out of the tournament in the quarter-finals.
This was not the case for the other two Barca players, as they played a significant part in helping Spain to their first ever World Cup triumph.
Iniesta managed to score the only goal in the final against Netherlands, which capped a fine end to a tournament that saw him put in strong performances throughout.
Xavi, for his part, played in all seven games in the World Cup and was pivotal to the team's eventual victory, while his domestic form was no less formidable. The midfielder produced 14 assists en route to helping the Catalan club to a mammoth 99 points as they claimed their domestic league title.
Barcelona are now assured of having a Ballon d'Or winner among their ranks.
Among the list of managers, Spain's Vicente del Bosque, Barca boss Pep Guardiola former Inter - and current Real Madrid manager - Jose Mourinho have made the final three.
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