Ronaldo, Messi & Neymar on Ballon d'Or shortlist
Tuesday, December 1, 2015 @ 8:49 AM
Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Neymar are the three players to make this year's shortlist for the Ballon d'Or, awarded to the footballer considered to be the best in the world.
All three shortlisted players play in Spain's La Liga. It is the eighth consecutive year that Real Madrid's Ronaldo and Barcelona's
Messi have been on the shortlist, but it is the first time that Brazil's Neymar, 23, has made the final three. Messi has scored 48 goals so far in 2015, despite being out of action through injury for two months. Portugal captain Ronaldo, 30, has also scored 48 times for club and country, but Real Madrid are six points adrift of Barça in La Liga.
Ronaldo, Messi and Neymar have also been nominated among the 50 players to make the team of the year shortlist, and in addition, Messi has been shortlisted for the Puskas award for the year's best goal.
The winners will be announced at a gala in Zürich on January 11th.
Ronaldo has been named the world's best footballer for the past two years, ending Messi's four-year hold on an award which is regarded as the game's most prestigious individual accolade.
The three contenders were chosen from a 23-man list that also included Wales and Real Madrid attacker Gareth Bale.
Read more at thinkSPAIN.com