Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo has said that he is "very proud" to be among the shortlisted candidates for the 2012 FIFA Ballon d'Or award.
The 27-year-old is also delighted to be in the running for a place in the FIFA FIFPro World XI and thanked his club and international teammates for the nominations.
"For me it is an honour to be a candidate for the Ballon d'Or and for FIFA's World XI, and I am very proud," he told Madrid's official website.
"They are two very special awards and I think that being amongst the candidates is primarily the result of the hard work and support of my teammates, both at Real Madrid and Portugal."
Barcelona duo Lionel Messi and Andres Iniesta are the two other candidates for the Ballon d'Or.
