London, Oct.20 : Star footballers Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have been named in the 23-man shortlist by FIFA for the 2015 Ballon d’Or award, which will be announced on January 11.
Ronaldo will be aiming to claim his third consecutive world player of the year award while Messi will be aiming for his fifth title overall,the Guardian reported.
The Portuguese footballer also faces competition from his team-mates Karim Benzema of France and Welshman Gareth Bale, who have also been included in the list.
Besides Messi, others Barcelona players Neymar and Luis Suarez would compete head-to head for the coveted award.
Spanish midfielder Andres Iniesta, Argentinian defender Javier Mascherano and Croatian Ivan Rakitic are the other players contesting for the award. (ANI)