The 2017 Ballon d'Or: When is it? Where is it? Will Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi win it?
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ByEurosport
Updated 07/12/2017 at 07:38 GMT
Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo is expected to win his fifth Ballon d'Or this week, drawing him level with Lionel Messi and complete a decade of dominance for the pair.
Cristiano Ronaldo holds his trophy after being awarded the FIFA Ballon d'Or
Image credit: Reuters
But details over the event are almost always unclear. Here's everything you need to know...
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Ballon d'Or trophy
Image credit: Getty Images
When is it?
The Ballon d'Or presentation will take place on Thursday 7 December at 6.45pm GMT.
Who are the nominees?
- Neymar (Barcelona/Paris Saint-Germain/Brazil)
- Luka Modric (Real Madrid/Croatia)
- Paulo Dybala (Juventus/Argentina)
- Marcelo (Real Madrid/Brazil)
- N'Golo Kante (Chelsea/France)
- Luis Suarez (Barcelona/Uruguay)
- Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid/Spain)
- Jan Oblak (Atletico Madrid/Slovenia)
- Philippe Coutinho (Liverpool/Brazil)
- Dries Mertens (Napoli/Belgium)
- Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City/Belgium)
- Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich/Poland)
- David De Gea (Manchester United/Spain)
- Harry Kane (Tottenham/England)
- Edin Dzeko (Roma/Bosnia&Herzegovina)
- Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid/France)
- Toni Kroos (Real Madrid/Germany)
- Sadio Mane (Liverpool/Senegal)
- Radamel Falcao (Monaco/Colombia)
- Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus/Italy)
- Lionel Messi (Barcelona/Argentina)
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Borussia Dortmund/Gabon)
- Edinson Cavani (Paris Saint-Germain/Uruguay)
- Mats Hummels (Bayern Munich/Germany)
- Karim Benzema (Real Madrid)
- Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid/Portugal)
- Eden Hazard (Chelsea/Belgium)
- Isco (Real Madrid/Spain)
- Kylian Mbappe (Monaco/Paris Saint-Germain/France)
- Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus/AC Milan/Italy)
But what about the FIFA award?
This is where it starts to get a little bit complicated. The Fifa World Player of the Year award and the Ballon d'Or award were traditionally separate, with the latter being the high profile one of the two. In 2010 the two merged, but in 2015 they diverged and Fifa atempted a rebrand with 'The Best' award... which Cristiano Ronaldo won back in October. However, the Ballon d'Or remains the more illustrious of the two.
Who are the voters?
The Ballon d'Or is run by France Football magazine and they use a pool of sports journalists from around the world to choose the winner. Details beyond that are somewhat murky.
Who is the favourite?
Cristiano Ronaldo is the odds-on favourite to win a fifth Ballon d'Or. Lionel Messi and Gianluigi Buffon are the likeliest challengers according to the bookmakers.
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