Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Manuel Neuer have been shortlisted for Fifa’s Ballon d’Or award, it was announced on Monday.
The Real Madrid forward is the hot favourite to retain the title he won last year after guiding Real Madrid to the Champions League title in May and having scored 20 goals in just 12 league games so far this season.
Neuer, who stood out during Germany’s run to the World Cup in Brazil, would become the second goalkeeper to win the award, following Lev Yashin in 1963, if he were to prevail.
Germany’s Nadine Kessler, Marta of Brazil and Abby Wambach of the US will contest the women’s award, with Stephanie Roche, the Irish player then at Peamount United, also on the final three-goal shortlist for the Puskás Award for “the most beautiful goal of the year”. She competes against James Rodríguez of Colombia and Holland’s Robin van Persie, both nominated for goals scored during the World Cup.
The nominees for World Coach of the Year for men’s football are Real Madrid’s Carlo Ancelotti, Joachim Löw of Germany and Atlético Madrid’s Diego Simeone. The women’s equivalent will be won either by Wolfsburg’s Ralf Kellermann, Maren Meinert, who is in charge of Germany’s Under-19 and Under-20 teams, and Japan’s Norio Sasaki.
The awards will be presented in Zurich on 12 January 2015.
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