Santos and Brazil star Neymar could not hide his delight at being named in the shortlist for the Fifa Ballon d’Or award, and took the opportunity to thank those who helped him to such a prestigious honour. The 19-year-old is the only player on the 23-man list to play outside of Europe, and was named in recognition of a year where he lifted the Copa Libertadores for his club as well as helping Brazil’s Under-20 team win the South American Championships. Speaking on Wednesday in a video recorded for Santos’ official Youtube channel, Neymar spoke about how grateful he was to receive the nomination. “I would like to thank Fifa, France Football, and everyone who voted for my inclusion in the list of the best 23 players in the world in 2011. It is a great honour to be participating and for me, a dream come true,” the youngster beamed. “I am so happy and I would also like to thank God, my family, Santos and my team-mates, as if it was not for them I would not have managed this. Thank you so much.”The three finalists for the award will be announced on December 6, with the final ceremony to be held on December 9.
