Buffon, Ronaldo, Messi shortlisted for UEFA's Player of the Year award
Gianluigi Buffon, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Lionel Messi have been selected as the final three candidates for the 2016-17 UEFA Men's Player of the Year award.
Luka Modric, Toni Kroos, Paulo Dybala, Sergio Ramos, Kylian Mbappe, Robert Lewandowski, and Zlatan Ibrahimovic rounded out the 10 finalists, but only Messi and Buffon have a chance to dethrone Ronaldo when a winner is selected during the Champions League group stage draw in Monaco on Aug. 24.
The trio were selected during the penultimate voting stage by a jury of 80 coaches of the teams that competed in last season's Champions League and Europa League group stages, as well as 55 members from the media who were selected by the European Sports Media (ESM) group.
Managers were prohibited from voting for players on their own team.
Last year, Ronaldo edged out finalists Antoine Griezmann and Gareth Bale to win the award for a second time - joining Messi as the only players to be selected twice.
Ronaldo has been shortlisted each year since the award came into existence during the 2010-11 season, while Messi (who last won in 2015) has been selected to the final three in four of the six years since the inaugural ceremony.
It's the first time that Buffon, 38, has made the shortlist, as he attempts to become the first 'keeper to win the award. Manuel Neuer of Bayern Munich came closest when he finished second to Ronaldo in 2014.
Franck Ribery is the only player to win the award who played outside of Spain when he edged out Messi and Ronaldo in 2013.