MasterCard All-Star Team to honor Top Players of 2006 FIFA World Cup.

For the fourth consecutive FIFA World Cup, the MasterCard All-Star Team program will recognize and honor the top football players of the 2006 FIFA World Cup.

A total of 23 footballers, out of a possible 736 players competing for their 32 teams, will be selected to the MasterCard All-Star Team of the 2006 FIFA World Cup by the Technical Study Group (TSG) of the world governing body of football, a panel comprised of 14 members representing all six Confederations: AFC, CAF, CONCACAF, CONMEBOL, OFC and UEFA.

The criteria for selection to the 23-member MasterCard All-Star Team, representing a FIFA World Cup squad, includes players from teams advancing to at least the round of 16 (a minimum number of appearances is required); who show outstanding performance on the pitch during the tournament; and represent every position of a team (goalkeeper, defender, midfield, attack).

“Every FIFA World Cup is characterized by a select number of footballers who distinguish themselves by elevating their game to an extraordinary level and have a significant impact on the tournament,” said John Stuart, senior vice president, Global Sponsorships, MasterCard International. “Whether they are a current elite player or a newly discovered star, the MasterCard All-Star team honors these players and helps bring fans closer to the game by fostering debate among fans across the globe as to who deserves to be in the final squad.”

Following the Round of 16, the FIFA TSG will prepare a list of approximately 50 players under consideration for selection to the MasterCard All-Star Team, based on performances through the first 56 matches of the tournament. The final roster of the 23-member MasterCard All-Star Team will be made following the semi-final matches and announced by members of the FIFA TSG and MasterCard on July 6, 2006.