Messi and Ronaldo Renew Their Rivalry In FIFA’s Best Player Award – Full List

Messi and Ronaldo Renew Their Rivalry In FIFA’s Best Player Award – Full List

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi will renew their rivalry as both superstars have been named alongside 22 others for the 2017 FIFA Best Player Award.

Real Madrid ace Ronaldo comes in as favourite for the prestigious award after leading Los Blancos to successfully defend their Champions League trophy in addition to winning La Liga last season.

Victory for Ronaldo – his second in as many years – will draw him level with fierce rival Messi as the most successful individual players with five gongs.

The 32-year-old scored twice as Madrid beat Juventus 4-1 in the Champions League final, while also finishing top scorer in the competition with 12 goals.

https://twitter.com/FIFAcom/status/898182447384453120

He faces competition from Messi, who finished as La Liga’s top scorer with 37 goals and helped Barcelona to a third successive Copa del Rey success.

Also in the running for the top honour is Juventus captain Gianluigi Buffon after guiding his club to a Serie A and Coppa Italia double as well as a place in the Champions League final.

Madrid dominate the list of nominees with seven players, while Barca are next in line with four nominees, including PSG’s world record signing, Neymar.

Chelsea duo Eden Hazard and N’Golo Kante lead the contingent from the Premier League, while the likes of Robert Lewandowski, Manuel Neuer and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang join others from the Bundesliga.

The award, which now covers the period of Nov. 20, 2016, to July 2, 2017, is voted for by national team coaches, captains, selected media and fans, and will be handed out at the Best FIFA Football Awards ceremony on Oct. 23 in London.

American star Carli Lloyd has been named among 10 others for the FIFA Best Women Award, while, Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane leads the likes of Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola for the Best FIFA Men’s Coach award.

Full list of Best FIFA Men’s Player nominations

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Borussia Dortmund, Gabon)
Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus/AC Milan, Italy)
Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus, Italy)
Dani Carvajal (Real Madrid, Spain)
Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid, Portugal)
Paulo Dybala (Juventus, Argentina)
Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid, France)
Eden Hazard (Chelsea, Belgium)
Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Manchester United)
Andres Iniesta (Barcelona, Spain)
Harry Kane, (Tottenham, England)
N’Golo Kante (Chelsea, France)
Toni Kroos (Real Madrid, Germany)
Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich, Poland)
Marcelo (Real Madrid, Brazil)
Lionel Messi (Barcelona, Argentina)
Luka Modric (Real Madrid, Croatia)
Keylor Navas (Real Madrid, Costa Rica)
Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich, Germany)
Neymar (Barcelona/Paris Saint-Germain, Brazil)
Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid, Spain)
Alexis Sanchez (Arsenal, Chile)
Luis Suarez (Barcelona, Uruguay)
Arturo Vidal (Bayern Munich, Chile)