There are plenty of candidates but no clear favorite for the two major Player of the Year awards. A new generation of young stars has emerged on the scene. Their confirmation should take place at next year’s World Cup.

It’s that time of year when balloting begins on the two major international player awards: the World Player of the Year and the European Player of the Year.

The balloting is different, but the candidates are virtually the same. Almost all the top players in the world are based in Europe, so they are eligible for both awards.

FIFA introduced the World Player of the Year award in 1991. National team coaches vote (5-3-1 point system) with the one restriction that they cannot vote for their own players. The Paris magazine France Football has awarded its Ballon d’or (“Golden Ball”) for the European Player of the Year since 1956. Voting is conducted by sportswriters from 51 European countries (5-4-3-2-1 point system).

Since the Ballon d’or was opened up to all European-based players regardless of their nationality in 1995, coaches and sportswriters have agreed four of six times. The exceptions were 1996 (World Player of the Year: Ronaldo; European Player of the Year: Matthias Sammer) and 2000 (World Player of the Year: Zinedine Zidane; European Player of the Year: Luis Figo).

There’s no clear favorite this year. There was no World Cup or European Championship from which a dominant player emerged. Almost without exception, the top European-based South Americans all skipped the Copa America.

Here’s a rundown of the top candidates by category:

REAL’S TRIDENTE. Spanish striker Raul will probably get more votes than Portuguese Luis Figo and Frenchman Zinedine Zidane, who shared the 2000 awards.

The Spanish striker won the Spanish scoring title and repeated as the top scorer in the European Champions League.

Figo helped Real regain the Spanish title but he was unable to help it retain the Champions League trophy.

Zidane arrived last summer from Juventus, which had already been knocked out of the Champions League and finished second in the race of Italy’s Scudetto.

THE FRENCHIES. Arsenal’s three French stars – Thierry Henry, Patrick Vieira and Robert Pires – should all get consideration.

Henry is the best of France’s deep frontline, but he skipped the Confederations Cup, where Vieira and Pires shined.

Many consider Vieira the best all-round player in England. Pires, winner of the MVP award at the Confederations Cup, is a darkhorse candidate.

SVEN’S MEN. Swede Sven Goran Eriksson would never have turned around England’s floundering World Cup bid if he didn’t have Michael Owen, David Beckham and Steven Gerrard.

Owen’s hat trick sealed England’s stunning 5-1 win over Germany in Munich.

Beckham saved England with a last-second goal against Greece.

Gerrard, compared not always so kindly to Paul Gascoigne, was the revelation of the year.

KING OF ROME. The stylish Francesco Totti, dubbed the “VIIIth King of Italy” by his Roma fans, is the best player on an Italian national team poised to contend for the 2002 World Cup title.

Totti, who plays as a trequartista (between the midfield and the frontline), had 13 goals for Roma in its run to the Italian title.

BAYERN BOYS. Bayern Munich won the Champions League, but its victory owed more to its tremendous depth rather than its individual talent.

Midfielder Stefan Effenberg is Bayern’s inspirational leader, but he refuses to play for Germany.

The Munich debacle ended any chance Oliver Kahn, hero of the Bayern victory on penalty kicks over Valencia in the Champions League final, had of contending.

THE RUNNER-UP. Valencia finished second in the Champions League for the second straight year, but Gaizka Mendieta, its top player, left for Lazio, where he’s unfortunately struggled.

THE ARGENTINES. Argentina dominated World Cup qualifying in South America.

Hernan Crespo and Gabriel Batistuta, longtime rivals for Argentina’s central forward post, had outstanding years in Italy.

Crespo led Serie A in scoring with 26 goals. In his first year at Roma, Batistuta (20 goals) finally won his first Scudetto.

Sebastian Veron, the leader of the Argentine national team, would have probably gotten more consideration if Lazio had had a better 2000-01 season. He’s since moved to Manchester United.

Roberto Ayala, voted the 2000-01 Champions League’s top defender with Valencia, and Walter Samuel, outstanding on the Roma backline since arriving from Boca Juniors, are this year’s top candidates on defense.

HIGHLIGHT REEL. Brazil’s disastrous World Cup campaign all but rules out the possibility of a member of the Seletao winning.

The lone candidate: Rivaldo, who swept the 1999 awards. He’s a one-man highlight reel, single-handedly propelling Barcelona into the 2001-02 Champions League.

ANDRIY THE GIANT. U.S. national team coach Bruce Arena picked Ukrainian Andriy Shevchenko third behind Zidane and Rivaldo in voting for the 2000 World Player of the Year, and the AC Milan striker had another outstanding year, knocking home 24 goals for the second straight season.

SCANDINAVIANS. A pair of Scandinavian strikers, Swede Henrik Larsson and Dane Ebbe Sand, merit consideration.

Larsson had 35 goals in 33 league games for Scottish champion Celtic and helped the Swedes to the World Cup finals after an eight-year absence.

Sand shared the Bundesliga scoring title, helping Schalke 04 to second place, one point behind Bayern and will lead the Danes next year in Asia.

THE EXCEPTION. The one player outside Europe deserving of mention is Boca Juniors’ Juan Roman Riquelme. The 23-year-old playmaker helped the Argentine club defend its Libertadores Cup title.

THE KID. Finally, there’s another Argentine phenom, Javier Saviola. Normally, success at the youth level doesn’t count for anything, but the 20-year-old Saviola’s numbers at the World Youth Championship weren’t ordinary: a record 11 goals in seven games, two hat tricks and goals in his last six games. “El Pibe” has fit in quickly at Barcelona, partnering with Rivaldo and Dutchman Patrick Kluivert on a formidable frontline.

SA’s Picks

MICHAEL OWEN (Liverpool/ England). Played in four of the five cups finals Liverpool won in 2001. Scored twice in the FA Cup final and once in the European Super Cup and English Charity Shield. Set up two goals in the UEFA Cup final. Had a hat trick in England’s 5-1 win over Germany in Munich.

RAUL (Real Madrid/Spain). Led Real Madrid to the Spanish title. Hard to believe he just turned 24. Seems to have been around forever.

FRANCESCO TOTTI (Roma/Italy). Stylish Italian in the old tradition of Italian playmakers. Led Roma to its first Italian title since 1983.

ROBERT PIRES (Arsenal/France). Came into his own this year. Was tournament MVP at the Confederations Cup in playmaking role.

HERNAN CRESPO (Lazio/Argentina). Best of the Argentines. Leading scorer in Italy and in South American World Cup qualifying.

by Soccer America Managing Editor Paul Kennedy