LIONEL MESSI, Neymar and Cristiano Ronaldo have been named as the three players to battle it out for this year’s FIFA’s Ballon d’Or prize.
Advertisement
“He has taken his game to another level, one which Brazilian football is used to seeing”.
Statistics show that Neymar’s 2015 season has been slightly less productive than this rivals.
The 23-year-old is now the top scorer in La Liga and has proved increasingly important for Barca with Messi missing for much of this season with injury.
“Being nominated for Ballon d’Or means a lot”.
All of the awards will be presented at the FIFA Ballon d’Or award ceremony at theKongresshaus in Zurich on 11 January 2016 during a televised show to be streamed live on FIFA.com and FIFA on YouTube.
Messi and Ronaldo will again come face to face for the prestigious Federation Internationale de Football Association award, with Neymar completing a three-man shortlist.
The only time in the last seven years when they did not finish one-two was in 2010 when the Barcelona trio of Messi, Andres Iniesta and Xavi swept the podium.
Ronaldo (45), Lionel Messi (44) and Neymar (41) have scored more goals all competitions in 2015 than any other player in Europe’s top 5 leagues.
“This award in particular I want to dedicate to my son Thiago (aged 3) even if he still doesn’t understand very well. When I depart house, he all the time will get mad and says: ‘Are you going to the aim once more?’ Yes, I inform him, I’m going to the objective!”
Ronaldo’s Five-Star Fan Favourite award was chosen by social media users.
Meanwhile, Bayern Munich coach Pep Guardiola is pitted alongside Barcelona manager Luis Enrique and Chile manager Jorge Sampaoli as the nominees for the Coach of the Year.
Advertisement
The Barcelona boys are a little disappointed Luis Suarez didn’t make the final three for this year’s Ballon D’Or.
