Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo hightlight a list of 32 candidates for this season's Best Player in Europe award.

Each voter submitted five names to create the 32-man slate, which will be reduced to a three players next month. The winner will be decided when the same voting panel is polled in Monaco on Aug. 30 when the Champions League groups are drawn.

Messi, who stars for Barcelona, won the inaugural award last year.

The 32-player long list is as follows (in alphabetical order):

Sergio Agüero (ARG) - Manchester City FC

Xabi Alonso (ESP) - Real Madrid CF

Mario Balotelli (ITA) - Manchester City FC

Jakub BÅ‚aszczykowski (POL) - Borussia Dortmund

Gianluigi Buffon (ITA) - Juventus

Iker Casillas (ESP) - Real Madrid CF

Petr ÄŒech (CZE) - Chelsea FC

Fábio Coentrão (POR) - Real Madrid CF

Leslie Davies (WAL) - Bangor City FC

Didier Drogba (CIV) - Chelsea FC (now at Shanghai Shenhua FC)

Cesc Fàbregas (ESP) - FC Barcelona

Falcao (COL) - Club Atlético de Madrid

Joe Hart (ENG) - Manchester City FC

Zlatan Ibrahimović (SWE) - AC Milan

Andrés Iniesta (ESP) - FC Barcelona

Shinji Kagawa (JPN) - Borussia Dortmund (now at Manchester United FC)

Vincent Kompany (BEL) - Manchester City FC

Frank Lampard (ENG) - Chelsea FC

Lionel Messi (ARG) - FC Barcelona

Luka Modrić (CRO) - Tottenham Hotspur FC

Mesut Özil (GER) - Real Madrid CF

Pepe (POR) - Real Madrid CF

Andrea Pirlo (ITA) - Juventus

Sergio Ramos (ESP) - Real Madrid CF

Raúl González (ESP) - FC Schalke 04 (now at al-Sadd Sports Club)

Cristiano Ronaldo (POR) - Real Madrid CF

Wayne Rooney (ENG) - Manchester United FC

David Silva (ESP) - Manchester City FC

Fernando Torres (ESP) - Chelsea FC

Yaya Touré (CIV) - Manchester City FC

Robin van Persie (NED) - Arsenal FC

Xavi Hernández (ESP) - FC Barcelona