Messi, Ronaldo & Ribery are the 2013 Ballon d'Or finalists

The 2013 Ballon d'Or finalists: Messi, Ronaldo & Ribery

The trio of Cristiano Ronaldo, Franck Ribery and Lionel Messi will compete for the prestigious 2013 Ballon d'Or. The initial list of 23 players was whittled down to a mere three names, while somewhat surprisingly Gareth Bale of Real Madrid misses out. Bale has the right to feel disappointed by the omission following a successful season that saw him become the world's most expensive player. Barcelona's Lionel Messi has won the Ballon d'Or for the last four years, but this time the bookies are backing Cristiano Ronaldo to pick up the prize. Before Ronaldo was named as favourite, Franck Ribery of Bayern Munich and France had been considered the leading contender for the prize, having recently won the treble with his club.

Winner to be announced in Zurich

The Ballon d'Or was introduced in 1956 to honour the most outstanding performers in European football. In 2010 the award merged with FIFA's world player honour to become the most sought prize in global football. The award will be decided by a vote that includes a selection of international media representatives and the coaches and captains of all national sides. The winner will be announced at the official ceremony scheduled to be held in Zurich on 13 January.