Ronaldo, Messi, Neymar lead FIFA best player shortlist

By Sorwar Alam

ANKARA (AA) - The global soccer body FIFA announced the finalists for the Best Football Awards of 2017 on Friday at a special media event in London Friday.

Christiano Ronaldo, who won the award in 2016, has been named as one of the finalists in the FIFA Best Men’s Player Award category, along with his longstanding rival Lionel Messi and Neymar, FIFA said a statement on its official website.

Real Madrid’s Zinedine Zidane is competing against defeated Champions League finalist Massimiliano Allegri and Chelsea’s Premier League-winning manager Antonio Conte for FIFA Men’s Best Coach for 2017.

The three nominees for the new Best Goalkeeper Award are Gianluigi Buffon of the Juventus club, Keylor Navas from Real Madrid, and Manuel Neuer from FC Bayern Munich.

Venezuela’s Deyna Castellanos, U.S. soccer player Carli Lloyd and Dutch player Lieke Martens were announced as finalists for the Best FIFA Women’s Player.

In the Best Fan category, supporters of Borussia Dortmund from Germany, Celtic from Scotland and FC Copenhagen from Denmark will compete with each other.

The winners will be crowned at the London Palladium Theatre on Oct. 23.