Wayne Rooney, formerly of Everton, is among the 30 finalists for the “Ballon d’Or,” an award presented by the magazine France Football to the best soccer player in Europe. Non-European players who play for clubs in Europe are eligible. You can view the full list of 30 here.
Actually, there is no case to be made that Rooney was Europe’s best player over the past year. However, I don’t think anyone has been better since this year’s season started two months ago.
Cristiano Ronaldo, Rooney’s teammate at Manchester United, is considered the favorite and would be a deserving winner. Marcos Senna also rates serious consideration after starring for the victorious Spanish national team at Euro 2008.
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