Brazil's Neymar gives the thumbs up, as he leaves after a press conference at the Granja Comary training center in Teresopolis, Brazil, Thursday, July 10, 2014. The Brazilian soccer star is back on his feet after suffering a broken vertebrae during a World Cup soccer match against Colombia. Brazil will be disputing a third place finish, without its star on Saturday. (AP Photo/Leo Correa) (The Associated Press)
RIO DE JANEIRO – FIFA has included Lionel Messi and Neymar on a 10-player list of candidates to be named the World Cup's best player.
Seven of the 10 nominees for the Golden Ball come from finalists Argentina and Germany.
Messi is nominated along with Argentina teammates Angel Di Maria and Javier Mascherano. Germany provides four candidates: Mats Hummels, Toni Kroos, Philipp Lahm and Thomas Mueller.
Neymar is the only candidate from Brazil on the list selected by FIFA's technical study group of coaching analysts.
Arjen Robben of the Netherlands and James Rodriquez of Colombia, the tournament's top scorer with six goals, complete the list.
The winner is selected by the FIFA technical group and announced after the final.
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