The Ballon d’Or annual award which is presented by the magazine France Football to the best player of the year, as voted by sports journalist is set to see the next winner.
Following his ‘best men’s player’ FIFA award, Christiano Ronaldo is expected by many to clinch his fifth Ballon d’Or award tonight in Paris.
Ballon d’Or 2017 award: Ronaldo, Messi rivalry continues
The Real Madrid star is up against 29 of the world’s best players in the France Football ceremony. Ronaldo hopes to equal Messi’s run on the award. Ronaldo has bagged the awards 4 times as against messi who has claimed it 5 times.
Below are the nominees:
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Karim Benzema, Leonardo Bonucci, Gianluigi Buffon, Edinson Cavani, Philippe Coutinho, Kevin De Bruyne, David de Gea, Paulo Dybala, Edin Dzeko, Radamel Falcao, Antoine Griezmann, Eden Hazard, Mats Hummels, Isco, Harry Kane, N’Golo Kante, Toni Kroos, Robert Lewandowski, Sadio Mane, Marcelo, Kylian Mbappe, Dries Mertens, Lionel Messi, Luka Modric, Neymar, Jan Oblak, Sergio Ramos, Cristiano Ronaldo, Luis Suarez.
Ronaldo claimed victory after beating Lionel Messi (2nd) and Antoine Griezmann (3rd) in last year’s ceremony.
The award which has been running since 1956 making it one of the most prestigious individual accolades out there. Initially for European players, the honour went global in 2007.
Between 2010 and 2015 it was merged with Fifa’s own World Player of the Year award. That agreement ended in 2016, however, with the governing body reintroducing its own accolade once again – ‘The Best’ Fifa Men’s Player.
The winner is expected to be announced at 6.45pm UK time.
