Messi, Ronaldo or Neymar: Who’s your money on?

While the debate rages about whether Luis Suárez should have made the short list, the more interesting question is: can Neymar break Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo’s dominance of the Fifa Ballon d’Or award?

Messi and Ronaldo have won it for the past seven years between them, with the Argentinian maestro taking it four consecutive times from 2009-2012 and the Portuguese superstar reclaiming it over the past two years.

Although the young Brazilian has been a revelation this year after helping Barcelona clinch the La Liga, Copa del Rey and Champions League treble, Neymar’s team-mate Messi remains the favourite to lift the award for a fifth time.

While many would have loved to see Barcelona making it a one-two-three finish with the inclusion of Suárez, the short list once more shows La Liga’s dominance in world football.

On the African front, a similar question is being asked about Dortmund’s Gabonese striker Pierre-Emerick ­Aubameyang and the Black Stars’ André Ayew of Swansea, who are up against four-time winner Yaya Touré of Cote d’Ivoire.

Despite helping the Elephants win the Africa Cup of Nations early this year, Touré’s form for City has fluctuated.

By contrast, the Borussia Dortmund man’s rise has been irrepressible. Aubameyang is Touré’s greatest rival for the award, having racked up a stunning 20 goals and five assists for BVB this season. He is enjoying the best period of his career and has been linked with a move from Germany. He is rumoured to be on the radars of Manchester United and Barcelona.

Ghana’s Ayew has emerged as one of the most exciting players in the English Premier League following his summer move to Swansea City after eight years with French side Olympique de Marseille.

He scored on debut against Chelsea and has recorded six strikes in 14 league games. He was voted Swansea’s best player for August and October. At the international level, he was in good form despite Ghana losing on penalties to Cote d’Ivoire in the final of the Nations Cup in Equatorial Guinea. He finished as the top scorer of the tournament.

The ceremony to reveal the African footballer of the year will take place on January 7 in Nigeria, while the Fifa Ballon d’Or will be announced four days later in Zurich.

Aubameyang, Ayew, Touré, Algeria’s Yacine Brahimi and Senegal’s Sadio Mané are in the running for the BBC African Footballer of the Year award, which will be announced on Friday.