OWEN IN RACE FOR GOLDEN BALL AWARD
France Football magazine, which sets-up the poll, has released its shortlist of 50 players for the title.
Owen, who has enjoyed a terrific last few months with club and country, scoring a hat-trick in England's famous 5-1 win over Germany in September and helping Liverpool to a famous Treble last season is one of the favourites for the Golden Ball.
The striker's Anfield team-mates Steven Gerrard and Sami Hyypia are also nominated.
England captain David Beckham, and international team-mates Leeds United defender Rio Ferdinand and Manchester United ace Paul Scholes are included in the poll.
Former British winners include Denis Law, Bobby Charlton, George Best and Kevin Keegan, who won it twice in 1978 and 1979.
Celtic's Henrik Larsson is among the candidates after his record breaking season with The Bhoys last term and his efforts for Sweden.
11 members of the France team - Patrick Vieira, Thierry Henry, Robert Pires, Fabien Barthez, Vincent Candela, Eric Carriere, Marcel Desailly, Bixente Lizarazu, Lilian Thuram, David Trezeguet and Zinedine Zidane are in the reckoning for the title.
Former winner Robert Baggio is named in the shortlist after a successful spell at Brescia.
Roma striker Francesco Totti and Real Madrid's Raul have emerged as favourites along with Owen to take the prize. The winner of the award will be announced in the week before Christmas following a poll of journalists.
Full shortlist:
Sonny Anderson (Lyon)
Roberto Baggio (Brsescia)
Fabien Barthez (Manchester Unted)
Gabriel Batistuta (Roma)
David Beckham (Manchester United)
Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus)
Cafu (Roma)
Vincent Candela (Roma)
Eric Carriere (Lyon)
Andrei Shevchenko (Milan)
Hernan Crespo (Lazio)
Alessandro Del Piero (Juventus)
Marcel Desailly (Chelsea)
Steffan Effenberg (Bayern Munich)
Giovane Elber (Bayern Munich)
Rio Ferdinand (Leeds)
Luis Figo (Real Madrid)
Steven Gerrard (Liverpool)
Ryan Giggs (Manchester United)
Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink (Chelsea)
Thierry Henry (Arsenal)
Sami Hyypia (Liverpool)
Oliver Kahn (Bayern Munich)
Harry Kewell (Leeds)
Patrick Kluivert (Barcelona)
Samuel Kuffour (Bayern Munich)
Henrik Larsson (Celtic)
Bixente Lizarazu (Bayern Munich)
Gaizka Mendieta (Lazio)
Hidetoshi Nakata (Parma)
Pavel Nedved (Juventus)
Emannuel Olisadebe (Panathinaikos)
Michael Owen (Liverpool)
Pauletta (Bordeaux)
Robert Pires (Arsenal)
Raul (Real Madrid)
Rivaldo (Barcelona)
Roberto Carlos (Real Madrid)
Rui Costa (Milan)
Ebbe Sand (Schalke)
Lilian Thuram (Juventus)
Damiano Tommasi (Roma)
Francesco Totti (Roma)
David Trezeguet (Juventus)
Juan Sebastian Veron (Manchester United)
Patrick Vieira (Arsenal)
Zinedine Zidane (Real Madrid).
