Legendary Italian striker Paolo Rossi is tipping Fabio Cannavaro to edge Zinedine Zidane for the best player award at the World Cup.

The Azzurri skipper is shortlisted alongside Zidane and eight other players for the adidas Golden Ball award.

Cannavaro, who will make his 100th international appearance in Sunday's final against France in Berlin, has been a dominant presence in Germany and has been a true leader on and off the pitch.

"If I had to name a player I would say Cannavaro," said Rossi.

"He has been extraordinary. He has made no mistakes. He's a player who has a lot of experience and has a lot of maturity.

"He has had a fantastic tournament so far.

"Zidane has played well too but for me, Cannavaro is the player of this World Cup."

Zidane, who is retiring at the end of the tournament, was sensational in victories against Brazil and Portugal, with his penalty goal against the Portuguese allowing France to earn their ticket to Berlin.

Early in the tournament, Zidane had faced criticism which astounded Rossi.

"I would never do such a thing, even when he plays badly," Rossi said.

"He is one of the few players in the world that I would pay money to watch him play.

"He has a football intelligence above the average, pure class, an exceptional ball control.

"I like the footballer image that he portrays, his immaculate behaviour.

"For me, he is one of the all-time greats."

The award will be too close to call just as the final.

"It's going to be a very level game between two teams that are organised, strong in defence," he said.

"Perhaps Italy arrive to this final with more energy and more potential.

"France are a little bit tired but they have great individual players so it's difficult to give a prediction.

"Both teams arrive convinced of their own chances.

"I believe the team that keeps the confidence and especially has the best physical condition, after six games played, will prevail.

"There are no favourites."

Rossi, Italy's 1982 World Cup star player, scoring six goals to earn the golden boot award - three in the final against West Germany - said: "Each World Cup final carries its own history, it's a different story.

"The players are different, times have changed, football has changed, there's not one ingredient that is similar.

"As a player, you don't suffer during the game because the concentration is so high regarding what you have to do that you forget about the rest.

"The moment you go on the pitch, all you want is to prove your worth, to score and be a world champion. The rest means nothing."

Italy showed their true colours in their epic semi-final against Germany, scoring twice at the end of extra-time.

"I have been pleasantly surprised by how Italy have played," said Rossi. "I have to admit that I didn't expect them to play as well as they did, particularly in the game against Germany.

"Until that semi-final, we hadn't seen the true value of this team.

"Italy hadn't really been put to the test, even though Australia and Ukraine are good sides.

"Against Germany, Italy answered all the questions or uncertainties that there had been about them."

The Italians have been plagued by injuries and have had to deal with the distraction of a match-fixing scandal back home which has rocked their nation.

"I think the scandal has reinforced this national team," said Rossi.

"There's no doubt that our nation is a strange one because the players have given their best in the most difficult of times.

"It seems strange that the players need something like this to happen in order to give them the extra strength to show their value."

"Perhaps we should have similar situations in each tournament and every World Cup similar because it would mean that we would see the players giving everything."

Rossi has praise for coach Marcello Lippi.

"This team is modelled on Lippi," said Rossi. "Back in 1982, the squad was made up of players who had achieved a lot of success.

"Lippi has played a fundamental part and I believe he has been the key to Italy going so far.

"In this World Cup, there has not been a key player that has stood out.

"Big players like Francesco Totti, Luca Toni or Andrea Pirlo to name a few, have given their own contribution but they haven't taken the limelight.

"I think the group has prevailed, we have had a player like Fabio Grosso who has resolved two games."

Grosso won the penalty against Australia which Totti converted, and also curled in the team's first deep into injury time against Germany.

"A total of 21 Italian players have taken part in this World Cup and I think it's the only team to have used most of their players," Rossi said.

"Italy has been able to take advantage of the quality players they have at their disposal as replacements.

"Italy has scored 11 times in this tournament with 10 different players, I don't believe any team has that variant.

"It truly is a victory of the group."

Italy's players have remained focused, despite the sporting trial back home which has Serie A clubs Juventus, AC Milan, Fiorentina and Lazio facing possible relegation for corruption.

"Football survives everything regardless of any scandal," said Rossi. "This sport is a passion worldwide and this passion never dies."

Rossi is surprised by the depth of the problem.

"You do wonder sometimes about favouritism, but I never imaged that at this level everything would be so meticulously orchestrated," he said.

"But in the end, like in everything in life, the truth finally comes out.

"I think this is positive thing, they now have a great possibility to give back credibility to the Italian football because that's what they desperately need.

"It's a great opportunity to clean the sport up back home and to bring in new faces."

Should all four clubs be found guilty and relegated, Rossi believes they will bounce back.

"It could be that next season, Serie B will be the most important tournament and not Serie A if Juve, Fiorentina, Milan and Lazio go down," said Rossi.

"It's not for me to judge, as justice has to take it on course. "If it happens, these teams will be one year in purgatory before they return to have a starring role.

"They have millions of fans and a lot of history, It's a break, an ugly one, but they will return to cover their main role."

Juve has already lost their highly-rated tactician Fabio Capello, who joined Real Madrid earlier this week following the election of new Real president Ramon Calderon.

Capello's move back to Madrid, where he won a Primera Liga crown in the 1996-97 season, has been received with anger by the Juve fans.

"When you are a football professional, you don't live off sentimentalism," said Rossi, who is working as a pundit for Sky Sports Italia.

"With the difficult situation in Italy, with Juve uncertain on whether they will play in Serie B or Serie C, Capello has made a choice and it has to be respected.

"He is very good at guiding top clubs and big players and he returns to a club where he has

had success before.

"It's a professional choice that's all."

Rossi understands the gravity of the situation because he endured similar pressures in 1982.

He served a two-year suspension after being involved in a famous betting scandal and was controversially included in the national team.

"I still experience football in a very special way even though it's different from a player to a commentator," he said, before making very clear that he is desperate for the Azzurri to win against France.

"What I really want is that Italy go all the way," he said. "Above all, I am an Italian fan, when I see the Azzurri shirt, I get emotional."