See Full List-- CR7, Lionel Messi Makes FIFA 2014 Ballon d'Or list

                    The list was compiled by the FIFA Football Committee with the help of French magazine France Football. It will be trimmed to a shortlist of three on Dec. 1, with the winner announced at a ceremony in Zurich on Jan 12, 2015.   The list features 17 players from Europe, five from South America and one from Africa (Yaya Toure). World champions Germany are the most represented with six entries.

All of the candidates play their club football in Europe, for only eight different clubs, with Real Madrid and Bayern Munich tied for the most with six each, followed by Barcelona with four.

There was no place on the list for Barcelona striker Luis Suarez, who was named the Premier League's Player of the Year last season while at Liverpool and shared the Golden Ball award as Europe's top goal scorer last term with Ronaldo, following his four-month ban for biting Italy's Giorgio Chiellini during a match at the World Cup.

The list of 23 contenders:

1. Gareth Bale, Wales, Real Madrid

2. Karim Benzema, France, Real Madrid

3. Diego Costa, Spain, Chelsea

4. Thibaut Courtois, Belgium, Chelsea

5. Angel Di Maria, Argentina, Manchester United

6. Mario Gotze, Germany, Bayern Munich

7. Eden Hazard, Belgium, Chelsea

8. Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Sweden, Paris Saint-Germain

9. Andres Iniesta, Spain, Barcelona

10. Toni Kroos, Germany, Real Madrid

11. Philipp Lahm, Germany, Bayern Munich

12. Javier Mascherano, Argentina, Barcelona

13. Lionel Messi, Argentina, Barcelona

14. Thomas Muller, Germany, Bayern Munich

15. Manuel Neuer, Germany, Bayern Munich

16. Neymar, Brazil, Barcelona

17. Paul Pogba, France, Juventus

18. Sergio Ramos, Spain, Real Madrid

19. Arjen Robben, Netherlands, Bayern Munich

20. James Rodriguez, Colombia, Real Madrid

21. Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal, Real Madrid

22. Bastian Schweinsteiger, Germany, Bayern Munich

23. Yaya Toure, Ivory Coast, Manchester City.