Who is the World's Best? Candidate 9

Andres Iniesta: Recently, the Albacete-born Iniesta has caused a buzz around the world for his excellent performances in the Euro and with Barcelona in 2008. Iniesta showcased his excellent technical ability and intelligence at this year's world stage in the Euro. The scrawny, sick-looking Iniesta is proof that a world football star does not have to be a supreme athlete; instead, he can dominate with his innate technical ability and his footballing brain. Iniesta, a first-teamer for quite some time at Barca, has blown away expectations the last couple of seasons to a point in which he is a first team regular on Spain's Euro 2008-winning side. Iniesta is proof that wingers don't need to be speedy players, as he has demonstrated by usurping Henry's left forward position at Barcelona (despite being a natural central midfielder). A center midfielder with great versatility to play as a winger, Iniesta has developed a strong one-on-one game, causing defenders a lot of trouble in the open field or in tight spaces. He is extremely rare and special because he represents the classic footballer, a player who relies more on his abilities than his athleticism and physical attributes; it truly is a pleasure to see smart players, like Iniesta, take over the world stage.

Iniesta's personality has to come to question when it comes to winning prestigious awards like the Player of the Year Award. His dominance is just starting to take form, but his team-first mentality, though great for any club, can lead him to hold back from being the dominant player every Player of the Year needs. The needed greed or sense of individualism seems to be lacking from Iniesta's game and overall mentality, because of his quiet attitude and modest personality. Recently Nike wanted to use Iniesta's image as their centerfold for this year, but he does not seem like the type of personality to excel when he receives a great deal of attention. His quietness may not be overlooked on the field, but other stars will shine more than he will because of it.