Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi amongst finalists for Player of the Century award 

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have been included in the four-man shortlist for the Globe Soccer Player of the Century award.

The duo had initially been part of a 28-man nominees list that included the likes of Steven Gerrard, Luis Figo, Andriy Shevchenko, and Fabio Cannavaro.

📜 Here are the finalists for the PLAYER OF THE CENTURY 2001-2020 Globe Soccer Award: Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Mohamed Salah and Ronaldinho⁣⁣⁣⁠⁣👉 Phase 2 starts today. VOTE now: https://t.co/sVxrPmdu15 pic.twitter.com/2cFhgEUele

— Globe Soccer Awards (@Globe_Soccer) December 8, 2020

The initial list has now been trimmed down to the final four, with Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi joined by Ronaldinho and Mohamed Salah.

Mo Salah's inclusion might raise some eyebrows, considering that he has performed on the highest stages for the best part of four years. On the other hand, Ronaldinho made a mark for himself with his exploits at Barcelona and the Brazil national team.

However, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are the favorites for the award and would fancy their chances of being named the Player of the Century when the winner is announced.

The pair's performances have come exclusively in the 21st century, and they have each raised the bar of what was previously thought possible on the football field.

Together, they are 11-time Ballon d'Or winners, and almost all individual awards in the last 12 years has been won by one of them.

Cristiano Ronaldo took to his official Twitter handle to express his delight at being nominated for the award, tweeting:

''I'm honored and proud to be among the finalists for the Globe Soccer Player of the Year and Player of the Century awards. It's always a pleasure and absolute joy to receive such public recognition from football fans all around the world.''

While Lionel Messi has played exclusively for Barcelona, his Portuguese rival has represented Sporting Lisbon, Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Juventus with distinction, making a mark on the annals of all his clubs.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi also nominated for the Player of the Year award

Lewandowski joins Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi on the Player of the Year shortlist.

In addition to the Globe Soccer Player of the Century award, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi will also battle it out for the Player of the Year accolade.

They are joined by Bayern Munich hitman Robert Lewandowski, whose goals helped fire the Bavarians to a second continental treble last season.

Lionel Messi had a relatively turbulent year, as Barcelona flattered to deceive both domestically and on the continent.

This was followed by the burofax saga where the Rosario native threatened to walk out on the club.

This season has been more of the same, and the Blaugrana are currently struggling to get going under Ronald Koeman.

By contrast, Cristiano Ronaldo had an exceptional year, and although he could not guide Juventus to Champions League glory, he still had a brilliant individual campaign.

So far, the 35-year-old has scored 30 league goals this calendar year, which is more than what anyone else has managed in Europe's top five leagues. Ronaldo also became the first European to reach a century of international goals.

Despite Ronaldo's exploits, Lewandowski is the favorite to claim this award, following his record-breaking campaign with Bayern Munich.

Other awards up for grabs at the Globe Soccer Awards include: Club of the Year, Coach of the Year, Club of the Century, Coach of the Century, and Agent of the Century.

The awards are open to votes for the public, and voting can be done on Globe Soccer's official website.