ZURICH: Gareth Bale is one of six Real Madrid players and the only British nominee on the 23-man shortlist for the FIFA World Player of the Year award.

Bayern Munich also have six players on the list which will be reduced to three in December before the winners are announced on January 12 at the annual FIFA Gala in Zurich

Bale, 25, scored 22 goals for Real Madrid last season, as the La Liga side won the Champions League for a record-exending 10th time. Team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo is among favourites to retain his award.

Five Premier League players in Thibaut Courtois, Diego Costa, Angel Di Maria, Eden Hazard and Yaya Toure have also been nominated along with three-times winner Leo Messi from Barcelona and Argentina plus Brazilian clubmate Neymar.

There is no place for Barcelona striker Luis Suarez, who played a crucial role in helping Uruguay qualify for the last 16 in Brazil but was barred from football for four months for biting Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini.

In terms of Premier League clubs, Chelsea have the most players on the list with three – Courtois, Costa and Hazard, with Manchester United (Di Maria) and Manchester City (Toure) each supplying one.

Real Madrid and Bayern Munich players dominate the list, with each club supplying six players.

World Cup winners Germany have the most players nominated with six, with Spain and Argentina three apiece and France and Belgium two each.

Wales, Portugal, Sweden, Brazil, Netherlands, Colombia and Ivory Coast each have one of their players in contention.

Carlo Ancelotti, who guided Real Madrid to the Champions League, Super Cup and Copa del Rey last season, has been nominated for the coach of the year award.

Chelsea’s Jose Mourinho, Manchester City’s Manuel Pellegrini and Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal, who guided Holland to the third place in the World Cup, are also on the 10-man list for the coach award, alongside World Cup winning coach Joachim Low.

Fifa world men’s player of the year shortlist: Gareth Bale (Wales, Real Madrid), Karim Benzema (France, Real Madrid), Diego Costa (Spain, Chelsea), Thibaut Courtois (Belgium, Chelsea), Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal, Real Madrid), Angel Di Maria (Argentina, Manchester United), Mario Gotze (Germany, Bayern Munich), Eden Hazard (Belgium, Chelsea), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Sweden, Paris St-Germain), Andres Iniesta (Spain, Barcelona), Toni Kroos (Germany, Real Madrid), Philipp Lahm (Germany, Bayern Munich), Javier Mascherano (Argentina, Barcelona), Lionel Messi (Argentina, Barcelona), Thomas Muller (Germany, Bayern Munich), Manuel Neuer (Germany, Bayern Munich), Neymar (Brazil, Barcelona), Paul Pogba (France, Juventus), Sergio Ramos (Spain, Real Madrid), Arjen Robben (Netherlands, Bayern Munich), James Rodriguez (Colombia, Real Madrid), Bastian Schweinsteiger (Germany, Bayern Munich), Yaya Toure (Ivory Coast, Manchester City).

Fifa coach of the year shortlist: Carlo Ancelotti (Real Madrid), Antonio Conte (Juventus/Italy national team), Pep Guardiola (Bayern Munich), Jurgen Klinsmann (USA national team), Joachim Low (Germany national team), Jose Mourinho (Chelsea), Manuel Pellegrini (Manchester City), Alejandro Sabella (Argentina national team), Diego Simeone (Atletico Madrid), Louis van Gaal (Netherlands national team/Manchester United).