Messi, Ronaldo head 'Player of Year' list

Six players from Bayern Munich's treble-winning team were included among the 23 nominees for the World Player of the Year award announced by FIFA on Tuesday. 

Jose Mourinho was included on the shortlist for Coach of the Year despite failing to win any major trophies with Real Madrid last season, a performance the Portuguese himself described as "disastrous".

The only British player to make the list was Wales international Gareth Bale.African Nations Cup winning coach Stephen Keshi of Nigeria was overlooked and Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure was the only African to make either list. There were no representatives from Asia or CONCACAF.

German internationals Manuel Neuer, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Thomas Muller and Philipp Lahm, Frenchman Franck Ribery and Dutchman Arjen Robben were the Bayern players on the list.

Joining the Bayern contingent were the usual suspects such as Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Bayern's former coach Jupp Heynckes, since replaced by Pep Guardiola, was on the coaches list after leading his side to a Bundesliga, German Cup and Champions League treble. Brazil's Luiz Felipe Scolari, whose side hosted and won the Confederations Cup in June, was the only South American to make the coaching shortlist.

Radamel Falcao, Edinson Cavani, Luis Suarez, Neymar and Thiago Silva were the South American nominees for the Player of the Year award, along with Messi. All six are based in Europe.

Players' shortlist: Gareth Bale (Wales), Edinson Cavani (Uruguay), Radamel Falcao (Colombia), Eden Hazard (Belgium), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Sweden),  Andres Iniesta (Spain), Philipp Lahm (Germany), Robert Lewandowski (Poland), Lionel Messi (Argentina), Thomas Muller (Germany), Manuel Neuer (Germany), Neymar (Brazil), Mesut Ozil (Germany), Andrea Pirlo (Italy), Franck Ribery (France), Arjen Robben (Netherlands),Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)  Bastian Schweinsteiger (Germany),  Luis Suarez (Uruguay), Thiago Silva (Brazil), Yaya Toure (Ivory Coast), Robin Van Persie (Netherlands), Xavi (Spain)

Coaches’ shortlist: Carlo Ancelotti (Paris Saint-Germain FC/ Real Madrid), Rafael Benítez (Chelsea/ Napoli), Antonio Conte (Juventus), Vicente Del Bosque (Spain national team), Alex Ferguson (Manchester United FC’s former coach),  Jupp Heynckes (Bayern Munich’s former coach), Jurgen Klopp (Borussia Dortmund), Jose Mourinho (Real Madrid/ Chelsea), Luiz Felipe Scolari (Brazil national team), Arsene Wenger (Arsenal).