Æóðíàë France Football ñîêðàòèë ñïèñîê íîìèíàíòîâ íà çâàíèå îáëàäàòåëÿ "Çîëîòîãî ìÿ÷à"-2009 äî äåñÿòè ôóòáîëèñòîâ. Ïåðâîíà÷àëüíî â òðèäöàòêó ïðåòåíäåíòîâ íà ýòó íàãðàäó âõîäèë è ðîññèéñêèé ôîðâàðä "Àðñåíàëà" Àíäðåé Àðøàâèí, îäíàêî, êàê âûÿñíèëîñü, îí âûáûë èç áîðüáû, ñîîáùàåò îôèöèàëüíûé ñàéò æóðíàëà.
Ôàâîðèòîì íà ïîëó÷åíèå çâàíèÿ îáëàäàòåëÿ "Çîëîòîãî ìÿ÷à"-2009 îñòàåòñÿ àðãåíòèíñêèé íàïàäàþùèé "Áàðñåëîíû" Ëèîíåëü Ìåññè. Ïîáåäèòåëü áóäåò îáúÿâëåí âî âòîðíèê, 1 äåêàáðÿ. France Football íå âêëþ÷èë â ñïèñîê íè îäíîãî ôóòáîëèñòà èç Èòàëèè è Ãåðìàíèè. Êðîìå òîãî, â ôèíàëüíóþ äåñÿòêó íå ïðîøåë íè îäèí ôðàíöóçñêèé èãðîê.
Èòàê, â ÷èñëå íîìèíàíòîâ íà ïðåñòèæíóþ íàãðàäó îñòàëèñü: Ëèîíåëü Ìåññè (Àðãåíòèíà, "Áàðñåëîíà"), Êðèøòèàíó Ðîíàëäó (Ïîðòóãàëèÿ, "Ðåàë"), Äèäüå Äðîãáà (Êîò-ä’Èâóàð, "×åëñè"), Ñàìþýëü Ýòî’Î (Êàìåðóí, "Èíòåð"), Ñòèâåí Äæåððàðä (Àíãëèÿ, "Ëèâåðïóëü"), Çëàòàí Èáðàãèìîâè÷ (Øâåöèÿ, "Áàðñåëîíà"), Àíäðåñ Èíüåñòà (Èñïàíèÿ, "Áàðñåëîíà"), Êàêà (Áðàçèëèÿ, "Ðåàë"), Óýéí Ðóíè (Àíãëèÿ, "Ìàí÷åñòåð Þíàéòåä"), Õàâè (Èñïàíèÿ, "Áàðñåëîíà"), èíôîðìèðóåò "Ñïîðò-Ýêñïðåññ".