The contenders for the FIFA Ballon d’Or for the best player of 2012 award have been announced at a press conference held at the Anhembi Convention Center in Sao Paulo, FIFA official website said.

In alphabetical order, the FIFA Ballon d’Or nominees are Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal; Andres Iniesta, Spain and Lionel Messi, Argentina.

The awards will be presented at the FIFA Ballon d’Or Gala at the Kongresshaus in Zurich on January 7, 2013 during a televised show to be streamed live on FIFA.com and FIFA on YouTube.