Messi, Ronaldo and Ribery
Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Ribery Hernandez are the three players selected for three-man shortlist to win FIFA Ballon d'Or award.
New for this year:
Lists for Women’s Player of the Year and for Coach of the Year for women’s football were disclosed on 25 October, whereas shortlists for FIFA Ballon d’Or and Coach of the Year for men’s football were disclosed on 1 November.
From the original ten names shortlisted for the FIFA Puskas award, a shortlist made of the three most popular goals based on FIFA.com users' votes will be presented on 5 December with all the other shortlists.
Shortlists:
A shortlist of 23 male players were compiled by members of FIFA's Football Committee and Technical and Development Committee as well as a group of experts from France Football. Journalists, national coaches and national captains will all vote for the winner of the FIFA Ballon D’Or award from this list.
A shortlist of ten female players were put together by experts from FIFA's Committee for Women's Football and the FIFA Women’s World Cup as well as a group of experts from France Football. As per the men’s award, journalists, plus national coaches and captains, will all vote for the winner of FIFA Women’s World Player of the Year from this list.
Two shortlists of ten coaches each – one for men’s football and one for women’s – were also collated by members of FIFA’s Football Committee and Technical and Development Committee, with FIFA's Committee for Women’s Football involved in selecting the women's shortlist as well as a group of experts from France Football. Again, journalists and national coaches and captains will select their winner of FIFA Coach of the Year from these lists.
Finally, a shortlist of the top ten goals of the year will be drawn together by a panel of experts members of the Football Committee, Technical and Development Committee and FIFA Task Force Football 2014. FIFA.com users will then vote for their favourite goal on this list.
Lionel Messi's claim to a place in football's pantheon of greats should be advanced on Monday when the Fifa Ballon d'Or trophy is awarded to the world's best player of 2012.
The Argentina forward heads a three-player shortlist, alongside Barcelona teammate Ribery Hernandez and Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo, and seeks to win for a third straight year.
Only World Cup winners Zinedine Zidane of France and Brazil's Ronaldo have won three times since Fifa created its world player award in 1991, now merged with the Ballon d'Or presented by France Football magazine since 1956.
Only France great Michel Platini ever claimed that trophy for three consecutive years, winning from 1983-1985 in an era in which only European players were eligible.
That Messi likely will have three awards by the age of 24 is even more remarkable.
Few players have ever had a year quite like Messi's 2012. He defined an elegant Barcelona team which won the Champions League, Spanish League, European Super Cup, Spanish Super Cup and, after voting closed in November, the Fifa Club World Cup.
Messi scored 53 times in the 2011-2012 campaign with mesmerising play that created as many chances for others. He has another 31 this season.
Ballon d’Or candidate Ronaldo and Mourinho to skip FIFA gala due to Real Madrid commitments
By Associated Press: MADRID — Real Madrid says FIFA Player of the Year finalist Cristiano Ronaldo and coach Jose Mourinho will skip Monday’s awards gala because of team commitments.
Madrid says goalkeeper Iker Casillas and Sergio Ramos also will skip the ceremony in Zurich because the team is traveling to Malaga for the return leg of its Copa del Rey series. Former Madrid players Zinedine Zidane and Emiliano Butragueno will represent the Spanish club.
