Ronaldo, Neymar, Messi nominees for FIFA prize for 3rd year

Posted September 22, 2017 7:00 am

The Associated Press

FC Barcelona's Lionel Messi kicks the ball during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between FC Barcelona and Eibar at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2017. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez) The Associated Press

LONDON (AP) - Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Neymar are the contenders for FIFA's top player award for the third straight year.

The nominations were announced in London on Friday, with Ronaldo favored to join Messi as a five-time winner. The prizes will be handed out at the London Palladium theater on Oct. 23.

While Ronaldo won the Spanish league and Champions League at Real Madrid, Messi and Neymar only collected the Copa del Rey title with Barcelona. Off the field, the three players have all been embroiled in tax cases in Spain over the last year.

Carli Lloyd is in contention to sweep a hat trick of women's player awards. The American midfielder is being challenged by Lieke Martens, whose goals powered the Netherlands to the European Championship, and 18-year-old Deyna Castellanos, who won the Under-17 Women's World Cup in 2016.

In the coach of the year categories, most are being recognized for their achievements at club level. The nominees for the men's prize are Massimiliano Allegri (Juventus), Antonio Conte (Chelsea) and Zinedine Zidane (Real Madrid). The women's coaching contenders are Nils Nielsen (Denmark), Gerard Precheur (Lyon) and Sarina Wiegman (Netherlands).

Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo runs with the ball during Spanish the La Liga soccer match between Real Madrid and Real Betis at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid, Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2017. Betis won 1-0. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco) The Associated Press

Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo grimaces during Spanish the La Liga soccer match between Real Madrid and Real Betis at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid, Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2017. Betis won 1-0. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco) The Associated Press

Article Comments

Article Categories
Content Providers MLS Pro Sports Soccer Sports Sports Leagues Sports Types

Article Comments

Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.