He won't win. Whatever, though.

A cooler award anyway.

Yes, Didier Drogba has been nominated for the most prestigious award in football. This season, for the first time, the Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year honors have been merged into some super hybrid double platinum award now known as the FIFA Balloon d'Or - I know, clever.

Drogba won't be alone, either. Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti will join the Ivorian at the party, as one of 12 coaches competing to be the inaugural FIFA World Coach of the Year. Gotta think The Special One has this in the bag, but ya never know.

As you may notice below, when you look through the nominees, Wayne Rooney is a glaring absentee - as is Ashley Cole, but I digress. Nevertheless, hilarious not to see the reining PFA Players' Player of the Year not amongst the best of the best. Yes, I'm still angry over the Drogba snub.

The winners will be revealed during a ridiculously high-end, over-the-top, lavish, wealth-driven ceremony in Zurich on 10 January. Be there.

World Player of the Year shortlist
Xabi Alonso (Spain), Daniel Alves (Brazil), Iker Casillas (Spain), Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal), Didier Drogba (Ivory Coast), Samuel Eto'o (Cameroon), Cesc Fábregas (Spain), Diego Forlán (Uruguay), Asamoah Gyan (Ghana), Andrés Iniesta (Spain), Júlio César (Brazil), Miroslav Klose (Germany), Philipp Lahm (Germany), Maicon (Brazil), Lionel Messi (Argentina), Thomas Müller (Germany), Mesut Ozil (Germany), Carles Puyol (Spain), Arjen Robben (Holland), Bastian Schweinsteiger (Germany), Wesley Sneijder (Holland), David Villa (Spain), Xavi (Spain).

World Coach of the Year shortlist
Carlo Ancelotti (Chelsea), Vicente del Bosque (Spain), Sir Alex Ferguson (Manchester United), Pep Guardiola (FC Barcelona), Joachim Low (Germany), Jose Mourinho (Inter Milan/Real Madrid), Oscar Tabarez (Uruguay), Louis Van Gaal (Bayern Munich), Bert van Marwijk (Holland) and Arsene Wenger (Arsenal).