FIFA has published the official 23-man candidates for this year's Ballon d'Or. La Liga players occupy more than half places to reach as many as twelve, including Argentine player Lionel Messi who has won the award for twice, and he just achieved the European Golden Shoe.

La Liga giant Real Madrid's Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo is the strong contender of Messi, and his teammates Ozil, Iker Casillas, Benzema, Alonso and Ramos are also named on the list.

The Ballon d'Or voting right is held by FIFA head coaches of the national team as well as the captains and the representatives of the international media. The first round of voting will choose three players from the 23-man list for the final race. On November 29 this year, about a month later, the three-man finalists will be published in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

The 2012 Ballon d'Or final winner will come out at the Zurich Kongresshaus on January 2013, when the presentation of the Presidential and Fair Play trophies will be announced in conjunction.