Italy led a list of FIFA World Player of the Year candidates released on Wednesday, with more potential winners than any other country.
Italy had five nominees - all World Cup winners - including last year's winner Fabio Cannavaro, compared to four for England and France.
Brazil had three including most people's favourite, Kaka.
The 30-strong shortlist featured Cannavaro alongside team-mates Gianluigi Buffon, Gennaro Gattuso, Alessandro Nesta and Andrea Pirlo.
The English and French players up for the award - the second most prestigious in world soccer behind the European Footballer of the Year - were Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, Wayne Rooney, John Terry, Franck Ribery, Lilian Thuram, Patrick Vieira and Thierry Henry, twice a runner-up.
Ronaldinho, who won in 2004 and 2005, was named alongside Juninho and Kaka - who has already been named the world professional soccer players' union player of the year.
Argentina also had three nominees: Lionel Messi, Juan Roman Riquelme and Carlos Tevez.
The winner will be announced at FIFA's World Player Gala in Zurich on Dec. 17.
In early reactions to the list, veteran Serie A coach Carlo Mazzone said it was "absurd" that Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Francesco Totti had been left out.
Ibrahimovic and Totti, along with Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Ruud Van Nistelrooy, are among the bookies' tips to get the Pallon d'Or (Golden Ball) for European Footballer of the Year at the end of November.
Kaka is seen as a clear favourite for this prize because of his outstanding role in AC Milan's seventh European Cup/Champions League win.
FIFA World Player of the Year nominees, in alphabetical order:
Gianluigi Buffon (Italy), Fabio Cannavaro (Italy), Petr Cech (Czech Republic), Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal), Deco (Portugal), Didier Drogba (Ivory Coast), Michael Essien (Ghana), Samuel Eto'o (Cameroon), Gennaro Gattuso (Italy), Steven Gerrard (England), Thierry Henry (France), Juninho (Brazil), Kaka (Brazil), Miroslav Klose (Germany), Philipp Lahm (Germany), Frank Lampard (England), Rafael Marquez (Mexico), Lionel Messi (Argentina), Alessandro Nesta (Italy), Andrea Pirlo (Italy), Franck Ribery (France), Juan Roman Riquelme (Argentina), Ronaldinho (Brazil), Wayne Rooney (England), John Terry (England), Carlos Tevez (Argentina), Lilian Thuram (France), Fernando Torres (Spain), Ruud van Nistelrooy (Netherlands), Patrick Vieira (France)
