Messi in contention for UEFA player of the Year honour

Once again Barcelona's Lionel Messi leads the race for UEFA Player of the Year, 2012-13.

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The Argentine is the only Barcelona player shorlisted for the honour.

The other nominees are: Bayern Munich's Arjen Robben, Franck Ribéry, Robert Lewandowski, Thomas Müller, Bastian Schwensteiger, Totthenham Hotspur's Gareth Bale, Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo, Paris St Germain's Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Manchester United's Robin Van Persie.

Photograph: Christof Koepsel/Getty Images