Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar have been shortlisted for the 2015 Ballon d’Or award after the original list was cut down from 23 names to just three.
Messi is the favourite to land the award, having led Barcelona to a treble last season, while Ronaldo is looking to defend his crown.
Were he to pick up the Ballon d’Or it would be Messi’s fifth World Player of the Year title, more than any other player.
He has been nominated for the last seven years while for Ronaldo, it will be the seventh time in the last eight years that he has featured on the shortlist.
Messi is also among the contenders for the FIFA Puskás Award for the “most beautiful goal of the year”.
The three finalists are: Alessandro Florenzi – 16.09.2015, Roma – FC Barcelona, UEFA Champions League.
Wendell Lira – 11.03.2015, Atletico-GO –Goianesia, Campeonato Goiano (Brazil).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NG-d-aHadKo
Lionel Messi – 30.05.2015, Athletic Bilbao – Barcelona, Copa del Rey (Spain).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOX2QpfMkq4
Pep Guardiola (Bayern Munich), Luis Enrique Martínez (Barcelona), Jorge Sampaoli (Chilean national team) will compete for the FIFA World Coach of the Year.
All of the awards will be presented at the FIFA Ballon d’Or award ceremony in Zurich on 11 January 2016.
