FIFA Ballon d'Or 2014 Shortlist Named: Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi in Top 3

Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Manuel Neuer have been named on FIFA's final shortlist for the 2014 Ballon d'Or.

FIFA confirmed the news via its Twitter account:

Current holder Ronaldo, who landed his second trophy win last time out, is the current favourite to scoop the prize once more. Oddschecker.com places the Real Madrid man ahead of Messi, with Neuer the outside shout to become the first goalkeeper since Lev Yashin in 1963 to claim the gong.

Here's a rundown of the final three's credentials.

2014 FIFA Ballon d'Or Shortlist

Cristiano Ronaldo

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There's an air of inevitability around Ronaldo's game. So much so, it was strange to see him not contribute to a goal when Liverpool visited the Bernabeu in November. The Portuguese icon has scored or assisted in all but one of his last 16 club matches, helping Real Madrid to La Liga's summit and the knockout stages of the Champions League.

Of course, Ronaldo enjoyed a record-breaking run of 17 goals en route to winning La Decima last season. He netted in the final, despite fitness concerns, and he has begun the 2014-15 campaign with tremendous numbers.

Ronaldo already has 20 goals in 12 domestic division matches, not to mention four in five Champions League displays. He has also turned provider, assisting nine goals during this time.

Alfredo Relano of AS recently noted the former Manchester United man can net "with both legs, his head, from distance, from close range. And with penalties and free kicks. He’s a formidable goal scorer."

Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images

The Daily Telegraph also provided reasons why Ronaldo should win his third Ballon d'Or award:

One disadvantage for Ronaldo is his showing at the World Cup. He scored just one goal as Portugal plummeted out at the group stage, while Messi and Neuer both reached the final.

This is perhaps the sole blot on an otherwise tremendous year for the 29-year-old who continues to define whether his teams are successful.

Lionel Messi

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Another year, another Messi vs. Ronaldo vote to decipher. While the latter is currently enjoying praise over his current form, Messi's career has recently hit landmarks he first set about reaching a decade ago.

The Argentinian recently broke La Liga's all-time scoring record just days before doing the same in the Champions League. Spanish legends Telmo Zarra and Raul had their numbers obliterated by the man who can now set a new record with almost every goal across the remainder of his career.

Barcelona posted an official breakdown of his European strikes:

Messi has scored 10 in 13 La Liga appearances and seven in five Champions League showings this season. This includes two consecutive hat-tricks to shatter the aforementioned records against Sevilla and APOEL, and of course, nine assists across both competitions.

The 27-year-old, perhaps controversially for some, also captured the Golden Ball award at the 2014 World Cup. He was a constant match-winner for Argentina, scoring one and assisting another against Bosnia-Herzegovina, before scoring the only goal against Iran.

He also netted a brace in the 3-2 win over Nigeria and assisted Angel Di Maria to help beat Switzerland. Messi scored in the penalty shootout win over the Netherlands to set up a final bout against Germany, before failing to impact the game against the eventual winners.

Many believe he wasn't worthy of receiving the best player prize, but when written down, his performances in Brazil are difficult to topple.

Manuel Neuer

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It's fair to say Neuer continues to redefine the goalkeeper's role with his aggressive style of play. The Bayern Munich and Germany star is an avid bomber off the line, someone who loves to sweep behind the defence by meeting his opponents face on.

The Bundesliga champions tweeted a quick rundown of his latest exploits during the win over Hertha Berlin:

Neuer has conceded just three goals in 13 league appearances this campaign. He was not only a key player in Bayern's title win, but he also starred for Germany at the World Cup, where he won the Golden Glove award.

A selection of his tremendous saves can be seen below:

Neuer is perhaps the unfashionable choice to win the Ballon d'Or—his duty is less glamorous than that of scoring goals—but he deserves tremendous credit. His assertive nature is well-recognised across the globe, and it's fair to say he is just as capable of winning matches on his own as the other two candidates.

These three players will attend FIFA's ceremony on Jan. 12, where it will once again be revealed who can be considered the best in the world after 2014's play.

Stats via WhoScored.com unless otherwise noted.