The UEFA.com users' Team of the Year will be announced on Wednesday 16 January after voting closed on Friday.

Well over five million votes were cast since the new-look poll opened on 3 December. The final lineup will be published on UEFA.com and in the January edition of Champions Matchday, the official UEFA Champions League magazine.

This year's poll allowed users to pick their team in one of five formations, with four goalkeepers, 12 defenders, 12 midfielders and 12 forwards in contention. The nominees were chosen by UEFA.com staff writers on the basis of their performances for a European club or national team in 2012.

Cristiano Ronaldo (2004, 2007-2011) is looking to be selected for a record seventh time, with Iker Casillas (2007-2011) aiming to make the cut for the sixth successive season. In all, 63 players from 19 countries have been represented in the 11 years of the UEFA.com users' poll.

UEFA will present a €100,000 cheque to the captain – selected by users – of the UEFA.com users' Team of the Year, which will be donated to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

Team of the Year 2012 nominees

The UEFA.com users' Team of the Year is not intended to rival more established awards and does not bear the official UEFA imprimatur.

UEFA.com users' Team of the Year 2011
Iker Casillas (Real Madrid CF & Spain); Daniel Alves (FC Barcelona), Gerard Piqué (FC Barcelona & Spain), Thiago Silva (AC Milan), Marcelo (Real Madrid CF); Arjen Robben (FC Bayern München & Netherlands), Xavi Hernández (FC Barcelona & Spain), Andrés Iniesta (FC Barcelona & Spain), Gareth Bale (Tottenham Hotspur FC & Wales); Lionel Messi (FC Barcelona), Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid CF & Portugal).