Image source, @NATPIRKS

BBC News sports correspondent Natalie Pirks:, external I've seen the amazing dress! Exciting times for Stephanie Roche, good luck for the Puskas tonight.

And here is the dress in question. Stephanie Roche arrived at the ceremony with her boyfriend, Bray Wanderers midfielder Dean Zambra.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, @JohnBennettBBC

BBC World Service reporter John Bennett on Twitter:, external "They said he couldn't top the red number from 2014 but Messi's delved into his colourful jacket cupboard yet again..."

Turns out my eye for a new suit is not what I thought it was (see 17:04). Messi is (not surprisingly) wearing a different whistle and flute to the one which he donned 12 months ago....

Image source, Getty Images

On the face of it, Sir Stanley Matthews didn't have much in common with Cristiano Ronaldo. One earned £20-a-week, the other more than £300,000; one advertised cigarettes, the other models his own underwear range.

But Real Madrid's Ronaldo, the current Ballon d'Or holder and one of the contenders to lift the prize again later, and the very first winner of the award, Stoke and Blackpool hero Matthews also shared key components that made them the world's very best.

Find out what in Saj Chowdhury's piece comparing the two men.

Image source, Getty Images

Tonight, we will see either a Barcelona, Bayern Munich or Real Madrid player lift that golden ball. But when it was first introduced in 1956, the winner played for... Blackpool!

England's Stanley Matthews was the lucky chap to claim the inaugural Ballon d'Or, which initially honoured the European - not world - footballer of the year. It was expanded in 2007 to become a global prize.

Yullaw:, external Cristiano: more skilful than the most skilful, more athletic than the most athletic, harder-working than the hardest worker.

Michael Reid:, external Messi won nothing this season compared to Cristiano and Manuel Neuer. Shouldn't even be in the running this year!

Any Messi fans out there? Leap to your man's defence on Twitter at #bbcfootball!

Image source, @MARIOGOETZE

Bayern Munich and Germany attacker Mario Gotze:, external #NeuerForBallonDor Manuel Neuer you deserve it!

The three-man shortlist of Messi, Neuer and Ronaldo was named from an initial long list of 23 players.

Wales forward Gareth Bale was the sole Briton nominated, along with five men based in the English Premier League.

But - like Bale - Chelsea trio Thibaut Courtois, Diego Costa and Eden Hazard, plus Manchester United midfielder Angel Di Maria and Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure, were all trimmed at the first stage.

Votes are cast by the coaches and captains of all international teams - plus a selection of journalists - to decide the Ballon d'Or winner.

So the question that everybody wants to know is - who is going to be named the world's best footballer over the past 12 months? That is going to be one of three men - Barcelona's Messi, Neuer of Bayern Munich and Real Madrid's Ronaldo.

Portugal skipper Ronaldo, last year's winner, is the overwhelming favourite with the bookmakers to put another shiny, gold ball on his mantelpiece. Are they right? Or can Messi or Neuer help thousands beat the bookies?

Don't be shy in telling us, whatever your preferred means of communication is. Tweet using #bbcfootball, post on our Facebook page, or if you still remember those almost archaic things call text messages then send one to 81111.

And if you are stood next to the red carpet, and managed to grab a selfie with a superstar, then we definitely need to see the evidence.

Anybody who has had the (mis)fortune of watching a Fifa-organised event will know that the world governing body like to string an evening out. But they are not messing about tonight. Here's the drill:

17:30 (all times in GMT): Ceremony begins

17:36: FIFpro World XI

17:51: Presidential Award

18:03: World Coach - Women's Football

18:08: World Coach - Men's Football

18:14: Fair Play Award

18:41: Puskas Award

18:48: Women's World Player of the Year

18:54: Ballon d'Or

Image source, @FIFACOM

One of the first to stroll down the red carpet was Brazil forward Martha - one of the nominees for the Fifa Women's World Player of the Year - and looking very glam in a sequined silver and black dress, complete with Ursula Andress-style (continuing the James Bond analogies) slicked back hair.

Fellow nominee Abby Wambach arrived moments later, shortly after an array of legends including Thierry Henry, Clarence Seedorf, Alessandro Del Piero and, er, Pauleta.

The red carpet is pretty empty, apart from one or two late stragglers (who may or may not have nipped for a sharpener at the bar around the corner). Now the guests are sat patiently in the main hall at Zurich's Kongresshaus for the main event. Almost show-time.

Image source, AFP

Bayern Munich and Germany goalkeeper Neuer was the first of the three nominees to arrive, shortly followed by Barcelona and Argentina forward Lionel Messi - who appears to have dug the red, shiny suit (which he wore last year) out of his wardrobe.

Real Madrid goal-machine Cristiano Ronaldo saunters in a touch later - fashionably late of course - bearing more than a passing resemblance to a Portuguese James Bond in his finest tux.

Hello! The great and the good of the footballing world have shimmied their way down the red carpet, stopped to sign shirts/scarves/flags, posed for countless selfies and - in Ballon d'Or nominee Manuel Neuer's case - handed out mementos in the form of a laminated piece of card to the hundreds of screaming fans begging for a moment of their heroes' time. It was like a One Direction concert down there.

Image source, Getty Images

Industry awards ceremonies can be a mixed bag. They can be tedious affairs for those bunged on a table with suited strangers, shuffling uncomfortably in your seat as you make small talk, all the while considering whether to snaffle the last piece of crusty French bread or not. For others, they can be quite raucous as the free bubbly is quaffed at an alarming rate in a rare office outing.

With the ability of an average Sunday League footballer, I am never likely to know which category a Fifa shindig falls into. But I'd take an educated guess that the chances of Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo or Manuel Neuer boozily stumbling around the darkened room in their gladrags are slim. Welcome to the Fifa Ballon d'Or 2014.