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2015 FIFA Ballon d'Or three-man shortlist announced on Monday

Cristiano Ronaldo receives the 2014 FIFA Ballon d'Or award
Image: Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo receives last year's Ballon d'Or award

The final three-man shortlist for the 2015 FIFA Ballon d'Or will be revealed on Monday afternoon.

Twenty-three players were nominated for the prestigious award by world football's governing body and France Football magazine in October.

Only one Briton, Real Madrid's Gareth Bale, and five Premier League-based players - Sergio Aguero, Kevin De Bruyne, Yaya Toure, Alexis Sanchez and Eden Hazard - were on that list.

However, they will now be reduced to just three names, with the announcement made in a show broadcast on FIFA.com, www.francefootball.fr and FIFA's YouTube channel at 1pm on Monday.

Sky Sports News HQ's Kate Abdo will make the announcement, when shortlists for several other individual awards will also be revealed, including Women's World Player of the Year, World Coach of the Year for both Men's and Women's Football and the Puskas Award for the best goal of the year.

Ballon d'Or odds
Ballon d'Or odds

Who will win this year's award? Find out who Sky Bet make favourites...

The winners of those prizes, as well as the Ballon d'Or itself, will be revealed in a ceremony in Zurich on January 11 2016, and here are Sky Bet's main contenders for this year's award:

Lionel Messi (Barcelona): 1/12

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Lionel Messi celebrates his winning goal against Atletico Madrid
Image: Barcelona playmaker Lionel Messi has been crowned the Ballon d'Or winner on four previous occasions

Messi has already won the award four times and if Sky Bet are right then an unprecedented fifth is coming his way. The Argentine led Barcelona to a La Liga, Champions League and Copa del Rey treble, scoring a remarkable 28 goals in the second half of the league season.

However, Messi made less of an impression in the latter stages of Barca's European triumph, scoring just twice since the turn of the year, while he netted just once as Argentina lost in the Copa America final to Chile. 

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Watch Lionel Messi's astonishing solo goal for Barcelona against Athletic Bilbao in May's Copa del Rey final

Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid): 8/1

Cristiano Ronaldo with the Ballon d'or
Image: Ronaldo is the current World Player of the Year

Ronaldo is looking to complete a hat-trick of Ballon d'Or awards after edging Messi in 2013 and 2014, but is up against the odds after ending the 2014/15 season empty handed.

The Portuguese star has, however, been the leading scorer in European Cup competitions in 2015, finding the net in both legs of Madrid's Champions League semi-final defeat to Juventus.

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Cristiano Ronaldo netted an incredible five goals in Real Madrid's 9-1 demolition of Granada in April

Neymar (Barcelona): 16/1

Neymar of Barcelona celebrates
Image: Neymar has enjoyed a fantastic year in front of goal for Barcelona

Neymar has proved an increasingly important player for Barcelona and with Messi missing for much of this season with injury, the 23-year-old is currently the top scorer in La Liga.

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Neymar wrapped up the points for Barcelona in their recent 3-0 win over Villarreal with this superb piece of skill and finish on the volley

Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich): 20/1

Bayern Munich's Polish striker Robert Lewandowski celebrates after his fifth goal
Image: Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski has been in lethal form for both club and country so far this campaign

The Poland international might be wishing the award was run over the regular season, rather than the calendar year, with the striker having been in red-hot form in front of goal for club and country since the summer.

However, while Bayern swept aside all in their path domestically last season, they were outclassed by Barcelona in the Champions League semi-finals, while Lewandowski's goal tally was well shy of Messi's and Ronaldo's in the first half of the year.

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Robert Lewandowski scored this stunning header for Poland against the Republic of Ireland in Euro 2016 qualifying

Luis Suarez (Barcelona): 20/1

Barcelona's Luis Suarez celebrates after scoring against Roma
Image: Barcelona's Luis Suarez is rated the 20/1 joint-fourth favourite by Sky Bet to win the 2015 Ballon d'Or

The third Barcelona player on the list has adapted impressively to life in La Liga, putting his World Cup troubles aside to help form the most deadly attack in world football.

And with 12 goals to his name in La Liga so far this campaign -  second only to team-mate Neymar - Suarez is currently enjoying another impressive goalscoring season for the Catalans.

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Luis Suarez scored for Barcelona against Real Sociedad on Saturday with this skillful scissors-kick volley

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