Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Neymar have been nominated as finalists for the 2017 Best FIFA Men’s Player award.
The trio, who had been named in an initial 24-man list of nominees last month, will now battle it out for the prize when it is handed out at the Best FIFA Football Awards ceremony on October 23, in London.
The award, which covers the period of November 20, 2016, to July 2, 2017, is voted for by national team coaches, captains, selected media and fans.
The Real Madrid star won the inaugural award last year and is a favourite to claim the accolade next month after a year that saw him help Madrid to a third Champions League crown in four seasons and a first La Liga title in five years, as well as the FIFA Club World Cup.
Messi and Neymar claimed the Copa del Rey with Barcelona with the former finishing as La Liga’s top scorer with 37 goals last season.
The Best announcement in full
Men’s Player
* Cristiano Ronaldo (POR / Real Madrid)
* Lionel Messi (ARG – FC Barcelona)
* Neymar (BRA – FC Barcelona/Paris Saint-Germain)
Women’s Player
* Deyna Castellanos (VEN – Santa Clarita Blue Heat/Florida State Seminoles)
* Carli Lloyd (USA – Houston Dash/Manchester City Women)
* Lieke Martens (NED – FC Barcelona Femeni)
Men’s Coach
* Massimiliano Allegri (ITA – Juventus)
* Antonio Conte (ITA – Chelsea)
* Zinedine Zidane (FRA – Real Madrid)
Women’s Coach
* Nils Nielsen (DEN – Danish national team)
* Gerard Precheur (FRA – Olympique Lyonnais Feminin)
* Sarina Wiegman (NED – Netherlands national team)
Goalkeeper
* Gianluigi Buffon (ITA – Juventus)
* Keylor Navas (CRC – Real Madrid)
* Manuel Neuer (GER – FC Bayern Munich)
Puskas Award
* Kevin-Prince Boateng (Las Palmas)
* Alejandro Camargo (Universidad de Concepcion)
* Deyna Castellanos (Venezuela U-17)
* Moussa Dembele (Celtic)
* Olivier Giroud (Arsenal)
* Aviles Hurtado (Tijuana Xolos)
* Mario Mandzukic (Juventus)
* Oscarine Masuluke (Baroka FC)
* Nemanja Matic (Chelsea)
* Jordi Mboula (FC Barcelona U-19)
Fan Award
* Borussia Dortmund supporters
* Celtic supporters
* FC Copenhagen supporters
