Ronaldo, Messi, Neymar on shortlist for Ballon d'Or
The Portuguese has triumphed over the last two seasons
PHOTOS: AFP
BERLIN/ZURICH:
Barcelona pair Lionel Messi and Neymar were on Monday named on the shortlist for FIFA's prestigious Ballon d'Or along with double reigning title holder, Cristiano Ronaldo of Real Madrid.
While Portuguese Ronaldo has triumphed over the last two seasons (in a total of three wins), Argentinian Messi has previously claimed the coveted award four times while Brazilian Neymar makes the shortlist for FIFA's player of the year award for the first time.
Messi was the catalyst for Barcelona's impressive run to three titles last season (the Champions League, La Liga and the Spanish Cup) and will be the standout favourite ahead of Ronaldo.
The Portugal international might have finished the season without a trophy, but his individual talent shone out as he was La Liga's highest scorer with 48 goals, and has notched up a leading seven in the Champions League this term.
World Cup-winning captain Carli Lloyd (USA/Houston Dash), Aya Miyama (Japan/Okayama Yunogo Belle), and Celia Sasic (Germany/1. FFC Frankfurt) are in the running for the FIFA Women's World Player of the Year award.
Two Spanish coaches, Bayern Munich's Pep Guardiola and Barcelona's Luis Enrique made the shortlist of the FIFA World Coach of the Year for Men's Football award alongside Jorge Sampaoli, the Argentinian coach who led Chile to Copa America victory.
And Jill Ellis (USA/USA national team), Mark Sampson (Wales/English national team) and Norio Sasaki (Japan/Japanese national team) are the final trio to battle it out for the FIFA World Coach of the Year for Women's Football award.
All of the awards will be presented at the FIFA Ballon d'Or award ceremony in Zurich on January 11, 2016.
FIFA Ballon d’Or: Barcelona dominate 23-man shortlist with six players
Bayern's Lewandowski honoured for five-goal haul
Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski was officially honoured by the Guinness Book of Records on Monday after his stunning five-goal haul in a single Bundesliga match sent four records tumbling.
Lewandowski needed just eight minutes, 59 seconds to score five goals after coming off the bench in the second-half of Bayern's 5-1 drubbing of Wolfsburg in Munich on September 22 for the German league leaders.
"It was an historic night for me," said Lewandowski after being presented with four certificates.
He has claimed the record for the fastest hat-trick, which took him just 3:22, the fastest four goals, 5:42, the quickest to five and he is the first player in German league history to score five times off the bench.
"It took me a couple of days and weeks for it to sink in, my family were almost more excited than I was," he said.
Lewandowski is planning to donate the football boots he used on the historic night to a charity.
The one record he failed to break was Dieter Mueller's 38-year-old record of six goals in a single match, which he scored for Cologne against Werder Bremen in a 7-2 victory.
"Someone above clearly thought five goals was enough for me," quipped Lewandowski.
The Poland star has scored 14 league goals so far this season.
He is second only to Borussia Dortmund's Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who has netted 17 goals in 14 games, while Gerd Mueller, 70, holds the record of 40 goals scored in a single Bundesliga campaign set in the 1971/72 season.
Barcelona pair Lionel Messi and Neymar were on Monday named on the shortlist for FIFA's prestigious Ballon d'Or along with double reigning title holder, Cristiano Ronaldo of Real Madrid.
While Portuguese Ronaldo has triumphed over the last two seasons (in a total of three wins), Argentinian Messi has previously claimed the coveted award four times while Brazilian Neymar makes the shortlist for FIFA's player of the year award for the first time.
Messi was the catalyst for Barcelona's impressive run to three titles last season (the Champions League, La Liga and the Spanish Cup) and will be the standout favourite ahead of Ronaldo.
The Portugal international might have finished the season without a trophy, but his individual talent shone out as he was La Liga's highest scorer with 48 goals, and has notched up a leading seven in the Champions League this term.
World Cup-winning captain Carli Lloyd (USA/Houston Dash), Aya Miyama (Japan/Okayama Yunogo Belle), and Celia Sasic (Germany/1. FFC Frankfurt) are in the running for the FIFA Women's World Player of the Year award.
Two Spanish coaches, Bayern Munich's Pep Guardiola and Barcelona's Luis Enrique made the shortlist of the FIFA World Coach of the Year for Men's Football award alongside Jorge Sampaoli, the Argentinian coach who led Chile to Copa America victory.
And Jill Ellis (USA/USA national team), Mark Sampson (Wales/English national team) and Norio Sasaki (Japan/Japanese national team) are the final trio to battle it out for the FIFA World Coach of the Year for Women's Football award.
All of the awards will be presented at the FIFA Ballon d'Or award ceremony in Zurich on January 11, 2016.
FIFA Ballon d’Or: Barcelona dominate 23-man shortlist with six players
Bayern's Lewandowski honoured for five-goal haul
Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski was officially honoured by the Guinness Book of Records on Monday after his stunning five-goal haul in a single Bundesliga match sent four records tumbling.
Lewandowski needed just eight minutes, 59 seconds to score five goals after coming off the bench in the second-half of Bayern's 5-1 drubbing of Wolfsburg in Munich on September 22 for the German league leaders.
"It was an historic night for me," said Lewandowski after being presented with four certificates.
He has claimed the record for the fastest hat-trick, which took him just 3:22, the fastest four goals, 5:42, the quickest to five and he is the first player in German league history to score five times off the bench.
"It took me a couple of days and weeks for it to sink in, my family were almost more excited than I was," he said.
Lewandowski is planning to donate the football boots he used on the historic night to a charity.
The one record he failed to break was Dieter Mueller's 38-year-old record of six goals in a single match, which he scored for Cologne against Werder Bremen in a 7-2 victory.
"Someone above clearly thought five goals was enough for me," quipped Lewandowski.
The Poland star has scored 14 league goals so far this season.
He is second only to Borussia Dortmund's Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who has netted 17 goals in 14 games, while Gerd Mueller, 70, holds the record of 40 goals scored in a single Bundesliga campaign set in the 1971/72 season.