Cristiano Ronaldo,Lionel Messi and Neymar have been named on the final three-man shortlist for the 2017 Best FIFA Mens Award.

The contenders for the gong,which is awarded to the finest footballer on the planet, were whittled down from a 23-man list of nominations and confirmed via www.fifa.com on Friday.

Portugal forward Ronaldo will be aiming to retain the inaugural award after helping Real Madrid on the Champions League and La Liga glory last season.

It means Gabonese star Pierre Aubameyang and Uruguay’s Luis Suarez will not be considered for the accolade despite excelent years.

The Gabon international proved that marksmanship is another of his greatest assets by scoring 31 goals in 32 appearances for Borussia Dortmund during the 2016/17 season.

This achievement made him the first Bundesliga player in 40 years to find the target more than 30 times in a single campaign, and only the fourth ever to do so after Lothar Emmerich, Gerd Muller and Dieter Muller.

Although BVB’s efforts were only enough for them to end last season in third place, the striker and his team-mates lifted the DFB Cup.

Aubameyang is also Gabon’s captain and all-time leading goalscorer.