Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Neymar were Friday named as the finalists for the Best FIFA Men’s Player award.
Ronaldo, who is aiming to claim the honor for the second year running, played a key role in Real Madrid’s Champions League and La Liga titles this year.
Messi, a five-time winner of FIFA’s Ballon d’Or – which was replaced last year with the Best awards – was the top scorer in La Liga last season with 37 goals for Barcelona.
Neymar, who joined Paris Saint Germain from Barcelona for a record 222 million euros last month, scored 20 goals and provided 27 assists in 45 matches for the Catalan club in 2016-17. The individual highlight of his season was a memorable double in Barcelona’s 6-5 aggregate victory over Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League round of 16.
The candidates for the best goalkeeper award are Juventus veteran Gianluigi Buffon, Real Madrid’s Keylor Navas and Bayern Munich’s Manuel Neuer. There was no place for Manchester United’s David de Gea.
Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane will be aiming to become the first person to clinch awards for the best player and coach. The three-time winner of the formerly named FIFA World Player of the Year was shortlisted for the best coach award alongside Chelsea’s Antonio Conte and Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri.
Venezuelan striker Deyna Castellanos, American midfielder Carli Lloyd, and Venezuela’s Lieke Martens will vie for the best women’s player accolade.
The awards ceremony will take place in London on October 23.
The Best award nominations:
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