Ballon d'or final 23 short list

Ronaldo and Messi battle on but who is also on the list? Can Alexis stand the test?

Real Madrid superstar Cristiano Ronaldo has won the prestigious prize for the last two years, given to the player at the top of the world game.

He held off competition from Lionel Messi to collect the award for a third time in 2014 - although his Barcelona rival won it four times on the trot between 2009 and 2012.

Both players are unsurprisingly up for this year's award - and it is again likely to be a straight shootout between the pair.


There are just five Premier League nominees among the 23-man shortlist - led by Arsenal star Alexis Sanchez

The Chilean enjoyed a fine debut season in England and has continued in similar vain this campaign. He is joined on the list by PFA Player of the Year Eden Hazard.

Manchester City trio Sergio Aguero, Yaya Toure and Kevin De Bruyne complete the Premier League contingent.

Gareth Bale is the only British player to make the cut with a staggering 16 of the 23 players coming from either Real Madrid, Barcelona or Bayern Munich.


GettyUp for grabs: Bale is up for the prestigious award again.
There are a couple of familiar names on the Coach of the Year shortlist too, with Arsene Wenger and Jose Mourinho both making the cut.

Other names include Carlo Ancelotti, Diego Simeone and of course, Pep Guardiola.

FIFA describe the process from here: “The final decisions will be made by the captains and head coaches of the men’s national teams as well as by international media representatives selected by France Football. The winners of all of the awards will be announced at the FIFA Ballon d’Or as part of a televised show at the Zurich Kongresshaus on 11 January 2016.

On 30 November, FIFA and France Football will announce in a web show the names of the three women and three men, as well as the three coaches for women’s football and three coaches for men’s football, who have received the most votes (without announcing the winners). The three nominees for the FIFA Puskás Award (honouring the most beautiful goal of the year) will be also unveiled.”
Ballon d'Or 2015 shortlist

Sergio Aguero (Argentina/Manchester City)

Gareth Bale (Wales/Real Madrid)

Karim Benzema (France/Real Madrid)

Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal/Real Madrid)

Kevin De Bruyne(Belgium/VfL Wolfsburg/Manchester City)

Eden Hazard (Belgium/Chelsea)

Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Sweden/Paris Saint-Germain)

Andres Iniesta (Spain/FC Barcelona)

Toni Kroos (Germany/Real Madrid)

Robert Lewandowski (Poland/FC Bayern Munich)

Javier Mascherano (Argentina/FC Barcelona)

Lionel Messi (Argentina/FC Barcelona)

Thomas Muller (Germany/FC Bayern Munich)

Manuel Neuer (Germany/FC Bayern Munich)

Neymar (Brazil/FC Barcelona)

Paul Pogba (France/Juventus)

Ivan Rakitic (Croatia/FC Barcelona)

Arjen Robben (Netherlands/FC Bayern Munich)

James Rodriguez (Colombia/Real Madrid)

Alexis Sanchez (Chile/Arsenal)

Luis Suarez (Uruguay/FC Barcelona)

Yaya Toure (Cote d'Ivoire/Manchester City)

Arturo Vidal (Chile/Juventus/FC Bayern Munich)