Real Madrid’s blockbuster ‘BBC’ forward line and Barcelona’s devastating ‘MSN’ trio are set to go head-to-head for the 2015 Ballon d’Or award after all six were named on the 23-man shortlist by FIFA yesterday.

Real’s Cristiano Ronaldo, who set a club scoring record with his 324th goal on Saturday, will be going in search of his third consecutive World Player of the Year award.

He faces competition from his team-mates Karim Benzema, of France, and Welshman Gareth Bale who make up the Spanish side’s ‘BBC’ frontline.

Joining them are four-times winner Lionel Messi, the Argentine great, and his fellow South American strikers Neymar and Luis Suarez who form Barcelona’s feared MSN frontline that fired a combined 122 goals last season.

Barcelona, who won La Liga, the Champions League and domestic cup last year, have the most players on the shortlist with Spanish midfielder Andres Iniesta, Argentine defender Javier Mascherano and Croatian Ivan Rakitic joining their front three on the award.

Real have five with Colombian James Rodriguez and German World Cup-winner Toni Kroos also named.

German champions Bayern Munich also have five representatives with Robert Lewandowski, Thomas Mueller, Arjen Robben, Arturo Vidal and goalkeeper Manuel Neuer.

Vidal is joined by Chilean compatriot Alexis Sanchez after their Copa America success in July.

Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure, winner of the last four African Player of the Year awards, is the only non European or South American to make the list.

The shortlist

Sergio Aguero - Argentina/Man. City
Gareth Bale - Wales/Real Madrid
Karim Benzema - France/Real Madrid
Cristiano Ronaldo - Portugal/Real Madrid
Kevin De Bruyne - Belgium/Man. City
Eden Hazard - Belgium/Chelsea
Zlatan Ibrahimovic - Sweden/Paris SG
Andres Iniesta - Spain/Barcelona
Toni Kroos - Germany/Real Madrid
Robert Lewandowski - Poland/B. Munich
Javier Mascherano - Argentina/Barcelona
Lionel Messi - Argentina/Barcelona
Thomas Mueller - Germany/Bayern Munich
Manuel Neuer - Germany/Bayern Munich
Neymar - Brazil/Barcelona
Paul Pogba - France/Juventus
Ivan Rakitic - Croatia/Barcelona
Arjen Robben - Netherlands/B. Munich
James Rodríguez - Colombia/Real Madrid
Alexis Sanchez - Chile/Arsenal
Luis Suarez - Uruguay/FC Barcelona
Yaya Toure - Ivory Coast/Man. City
Arturo Vidal - Chile/Bayern Munich

Note: The list was composed by the FIFA Football Committee and a group of experts from France Football. The winner will be announced in Zurich on January 11.

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