The often controversial Ballon d'Or award will be presented to one of three prime candidates in Zurich. Prolific La Liga forwards Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi will continue their personal tussle for the major personal honour.Meanwhile, German World Cup-winning goalkeeper Manuel Neuer has an outside chance of upsetting the odds. If he does, the gifted 28-year-old stopper will become just the second goalkeeper to claim the prestigious accolade.Here's the schedule and viewing information for the award ceremony:Date:Monday, January 12 2015Time: 7 p.m. (GMT)TV:Sky Sports 5Live Stream:Sky Go. FIFA.com.Previewing the FinalistsThe Big ThreeMessi, Ronaldo and Neuer have each merited their places as the three favourites to claim the award. However, it's Ronaldo's claim that seems the strongest.He bagged 61 goals in 2014, as well as helping Real Madrid to a 10th European Cup triumph. Ronaldo was electric during the triumphantUEFA Champions League run.He established a scoring record for an individual tournament, finding the net an astonishing 17 times:As if his case even needed strengthening, Ronaldo also claimed the Copa del Rey, along with the FIFA Club World Cup. But the Portuguese powerhouse hasn't been all about finding the net and lifting trophies.Ronaldo has developed his all-round game to become a keen supplier of goals, particularly in domestic action. A player once defined by an individualist pursuit of glory is now a creative force.Opta Jose noted as much, following Los Blancos' recent 3-0 La Liga win over Espanyol:Ronaldo is at his peak and not many top players who've enjoyed the form he has are denied this award. Pundits Alan Shearer, Ruud Gullit and Ronaldo's Madrid team-mate Gareth Bale, have provided their own endorsements of the Portuguese superstar, via BBC Sport.It would take a brave voting committee to hand the award to Messi instead. The pint-sized, free-scoring trickster has not quite reached his usually unmatched standards during a difficult last year at the Camp Nou.The 27-year-old has fallen foul of successive managers. Reported differences with both Tata Martino and successor Luis Enrique have cast Messi in a negative light for one of the few times in his brilliant career.Yet there are those who believe the mini marvel still merits winning yet another Ballon d'Or. A recent report from Eurosport has refuted the idea Messi's awesome standards are slipping: "Messi has done pretty well for an 'off' year, plundering 45 goals in 48 games for Barcelona in 2014, becoming La Liga's highest all-time goalscorer in the process."While there's no denying Messi's brilliance, 2014 was just a rare year when he wasn't quite as good or influential as Ronaldo. B/R's Ryan Bailey and Janusz Michallik recently discussed what another potentialBallon d'Or win for great rival Ronaldo might mean for Messi's career:Messi may have cut a forlorn figure for most of the season, but even a hat-trick of Ballon d'Or awards for Ronaldo won't subdue his phenomenal talent.Of course, if Madrid's talisman is toting the hardware to help his case, then so is Neuer. After all, he won the FIFA 2014 World Cup in Brazil and claimed the Golden Glove award for his performances. Neuer also snaffled another Bundesliga title with Bayern Munich to go with a German Cup win.He is also credited with helping redefine his position. Goal.com writer Peter Staunton detailed Neuer's successful transformation into the proverbial "sweeper 'keeper":The famous Dutch coach Rinus Michels, the inventor of Total Football, was said to have toyed with the idea of using an outfield player in goal in the 1970s so as to improve Ajax's circulation of the ball. Well, with Neuer, that might just have come to fruition.In all honesty, Neuer's outfield work is sometimes overblown, at least in terms of its impact on Bayern and Germany's attacking play. But there's no doubt that above average skill on the ball has only added to the aura around Neuer. It certainly hasn't done his Ballon d'Or hopes any harm.Yet for all his good work, Neuer is still left to fight against history. No goalkeeper since Lev Yashin in 1963, has claimed this award.Like it or not, FIFA most often favours the men tasked with making goalkeepers look foolish. That's why Neuer will be left disappointed in Switzerland. For different reasons, so will Messi.It's difficult to look past Ronaldo winning his third Ballon d'Or and second in a row. He's got the goals and silverware to back up his claim.He's a stronger candidate than a slightly off-colour Messi. Ronaldo's efforts with Los Merengues will be deemed good enough to even deny a World Cup winner his due.Read more World Football news on BleacherReport.com
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