Ribery, Messi, Ronaldo? Who Will Be UEFA Best Player?

Countdown for the World Cup soccer tournament 2014 has started and with it has also started the predictions about the UEFA best player award that is given to the best soccer player of the world.
The process of selection of the award winner is short listing three or four players from whom the ultimate award winner would be chosen. While Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi were already in the list, an addition has been the Bayern Munich winger Frank Ribbery that makes the short list tally three altogether.
While the names of Ronaldo and Messi were near certainties, the name of Ribbery adds an element of surprise for most of the sports lovers. While the former two are world stars by their own right, the ebullience and crafty skills of the latter has been one of the main reasons for his inclusion in the elite list. In any case; these are the top three contenders for the best player of Europe award for 2012-13 season of the game.
“The Frenchman, who played a major role in Bayern`s Champions League-winning season, is the first player from a club other than Barcelona and Real Madrid to make the final three since the award was established by European soccer`s ruling body in 2011” reports the press.
In the inaugural year of the award, it was Lionel Messi who marked his name on it whereas the next year in 2011-12 winners was Andres Iniesta from Barcelona in Spain.
The award is considered one of the most prestigious among various awards that are offered to soccer players all over the world. It is not surprising that most of the leading teams and players look forward to be a winner of this most prestigious award.
Interestingly, Messi and Ronaldo featured among the top contenders short listed to get this award for in the last two years preceding the current year. However, Ribbery is a new inclusion in the list this year.
Short list of three is not prepared all of a sudden for the prestigious UEFA award. Instead; following the traditional pattern, the top ten contenders for the award was announced last month. Interestingly enough, three of the team mates of Ribbery, namely, Thomas Mueller, Arjen Robben and Bastin Schweinsteiger also figured in the list of top ten but it was Ribbery alone that made it to the top three. A jury of journalists selected from each of the member associations of UEFA will decide the final winner of the award. Winner will be decided through a live poll on the 29th day of this month.
Stage is set for the draw at the Champions’ League group stage draw at Monaco on 29th August. Till that time the sports lovers all over the world, especially the soccer lovers will have to brace breathes waiting for the final outcome to emerge.