It's that time of year again when Cristiano Ronaldo is either celebrating individual greatness or trying to maintain his composure as he watches a gong being handed to Lionel Messi.
Neymar is the third wheel tonight as the 2015 FIFA Ballon D'or is awarded at a glitzy ceremony in Zurich.
But while all three players have had fantastic years, there are others who are can count themselves a little unfortunate to miss out on the final shortlist.
Adrian Collins and I look at five of those contenders.
Luis Suarez
Scorer of the key goal in the Champions League final win over Juventus, a plunderer of 30 La Liga goals in the calendar year and a scorer of three goals in two El Clasicos during 2015, the former Liverpool striker is the most unfortunate player to miss out on the three-player shortlist.
He is the player who has added a new dimension to Barcelona's already fearsome forward line and it is highly likely that Barcelona's success over the past year could not have been achieved without his input.
Robert Lewandowski
The Polish forward has been in imperious form this year, eviscerating the notion that Bayern Munich manager Pep Guardiola's style is incompatible with centre-forwards.
Lewandowski grabbed the headlines with his five goals in just nine minutes against a strong Wolfsburg side in September. But that is hardly a flash in the pan.
His header against Ireland in October made sure that Poland qualified automatically for Euro 2016 - part of a formidable tally which saw him score nine international goals in just six games during 2015 - while this season already has him on 23 goals in 26 games for Bayern in all competitions.
Javier Mascherano
When Argentina reached the 2014 World Cup final, the ex-Liverpool man's contribution in defensive midfield was just as vital - if not more so - as Lionel Messi's.
A centre-back by trade for Barcelona, Mascherano was crucial again for his club in 2015 as they achieved the type of treble that they have made a habit of looking easy over the past decade.
The 31-year-old combative holder was also a key cog in the Argentina team which reached the final of the Copa America last summer.
Diego Godín
Atlético Madrid's continued success is no longer the amazing story it once was, and while they have won a league title in a period of unprecedented dominance for Real Madrid and Barcelona, their work rate and defensive strength has been the building block of their continued good form.
Image: Andres Kudacki / AP/Press Association Images
A goalscoring defender, Godín is an incredible threat from set pieces, and was the leader of a defence that conceded just three goals in the Champions League group stages. They have been even meaner at the back since the start of this season, conceding only eight goals in La Liga, a large part of the reason they sit top of the table in January.
Gianluigi Buffon
Back in 2003, the then 25-year-old Gianluigi Buffon would have been forgiven for thinking that, although his side had lost on penalties in the Champions League final to Milan, there would be many other opportunities for him to go all the way in Europe's most important club tournament and lift the trophy.
It took him 12 years to get back to the final, and he was a key player in that campaign that saw them reach the final to take on Barcelona. With manager Antonio Conte resigning at the start of the 2014/15 season, and Massimiliano Allegri taking over, Buffon served as a key player in the transition between the two and helped to maintain the solidity of their impressive defensive line.
In particular, he produced one of the best saves of the year on the biggest stage possible, when Dani Alves struck a shot that had Buffon going one way, before realising he needed to adjust quickly and get back towards his left post to save it. Not only did he save it, but he got a strong enough hand on it to make sure that it didn't go back out into the middle of the box, a rare quality that separates the elite goalkeepers from the rest.
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