Twenty three names will battle it out, but Messi, Ronaldo and Ribery head the betting.
Let the debate begin. Fifa released their Ballon d’Or shortlist overnight and one of these 23 men will be crowned the world’s best player on January 13 next year.
Lionel Messi, winner of the last four awards, is of course nominated again, as is great rival Cristiano Ronaldo. Ronnie’s new team-mate, Gareth Bale, gets the nod after winning the Premier League Player of the Year award earlier in the year after a stellar season with Spurs.
There are lots of Premier League representatives in the list. Liverpool’s Luis Suarez, Arsenal’s Mesut Ozil, Manchester City’s Yaya Toure, Chelsea’s Eden Hazard and Manchester United’s Robin van Persie are all included, but no English players make the cut.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic is included, as are his PSG team-mates Edinson Cavani and Thiago Silva, while European champs Bayern Munich are well represented with Frank Ribery, Thomas Muller, Arjen Robben, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Phillip Lahm all on the list.
Bayern's ex gaffer, Jupp Heynckes is also nominated, in the coach of the year award, alongside the likes of Alex Ferguson, Arsene Wenger, Jose Mourinho and Rafa Benitez.
Ballon d'Or shortlist: Gareth Bale (Real Madrid/Wales), Edinson Cavani (Paris St Germain/Uruguay), Radamel Falcao (Monaco/Colombia), Eden Hazard (Chelsea/Belgium), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Paris St Germain/Sweden), Andres Iniesta (Barcelona/Spain), Philipp Lahm (Bayern Munich/Germany), Robert Lewandowski (Borussia Dortmund/Poland), Lionel Messi (Barcelona/Argentina), Thomas Muller (Bayern Munich/Germany), Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich/Germany), Neymar (Barcelona/Brazil), Mesut Ozil (Arsenal/Germany), Andrea Pirlo (Juventus/Italy), Franck Ribery (Bayern Munich/France), Arjen Robben (Bayern Munich/Netherlands), Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid/Portugal), Bastian Schweinsteiger (Bayern Munich/Germany), Luis Suarez (Liverpool/Uruguay), Thiago Silva (Paris St Germain/Brazil), Yaya Toure (Manchester City/Ivory Coast), Robin van Persie (Manchester United/Netherlands), Xavi (Barcelona/Spain).
Coach of the year shortlist: Carlo Ancelotti (Real Madrid/ex-Paris St Germain), Rafael Benitez (Napoli/ex-Chelsea), Antonio Conte (Juventus), Vicente Del Bosque (Spain), Sir Alex Ferguson (ex-Manchester United), Jupp Heynckes (ex-Bayern Munich), Jurgen Klopp (Borussia Dortmund), Jose Mourinho (Chelsea/ex-Real Madrid), Luiz Felipe Scolari (Brazil), Arsene Wenger (Arsenal).
