UEFA Best Player Of The YearRonaldo, Messi, Suarez make final nominations

Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo will have a chance to defend his  UEFA Best Player Award after he was nominated for this year's award.

Barcelona pair Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez make up the final three nominations after winning the UEFA Champions League last season.

The three were nominated after journalists from each of UEFA's 54 member associations provided a list of their five best-ranked players, with the first receiving five points, the second four, and so on.

The ten players with the most points advanced to the second vote, which determined the three finalists.

The winner will be announced during the UCL group stage draw in Monaco on Tursday, August 27 after the jury have cast their votes.

Ronaldo during the year under review, was the highest goalscorer (48) in the La Liga (48 goals) and the joint-top UEFA Champions League scorer.

  Ronaldo scored 48 goals for Madrid last season (Real Madrid via Getty Images)

He scored 61 goals last season for Real Madrid a career-best,  leapfrogging Alfredo Di Stéfano into second place on the club's all-time list.

Messi in the year under review which starts in August broke Telmo Zarra's record of 251 Liga goals with a hat-trick against Sevilla in November, scored 58 goals as Barcelona won a historic treble and also finished joint top scorer in UCL with Ronaldo and  UEFA Champions League campaign as the joint-top scorer along with Ronaldo and Neymar.

Messi is the highest goal scorer in UEFA club competitions (Reuters)

He leveled Ronaldo with 77 UCL goals and leads with 80 in UEFA club competition.

Luis Suárez had a successful debut season in Spain forming a fearsome striking partnership with Neymar and Messi and also scoring in the UCL final against Juventus.

Suarez scored in the UCL final against Juventus (AFP/Getty Images)