Three Spain players have been named on the shortlist for the player of the World Cup award.

Barcelona trio David Villa, Xavi and Andres Iniesta lead the way for the Spanish having been instrumental throughout their campaign, which concludes with their first ever appearance in the final.

 

Villa has scored five goals, including decisive winners against Portugal and Paraguay in the knockout phase, while Xavi and Iniesta have been at the heart of the team’s dominance in the majority of their games.

But the Golden Ball award, as it is known, will be meaningless unless Spain can overcome their last hurdle and beat the Netherlands in Soccer City.

The Dutch also have two players on the ten-man list, Wesley Sneijder and Arjen Robben.

Germany duo Bastian Schweinsteiger and Mesut Ozil, Argentina's Lionel Messi, Uruguay's Diego Forlan and Ghana's Asamoah Gyan are the other contenders.