The final 2016 Ballon d’Or list is out. Messi , Ronaldo and Griezmann have been named on the three- man shortlist for FIFA best Men’s player award. Manchester United’s Wayne Rooney has failed to make the shortlist for the first time while 25-year-old Griezmann is being featured for the first time. The list compiled by the FIFPro players’ union is based upon votes from 25,000 professional footballers. The winner will be announced at a ceremony in Zurich on January 9, 2017.
Other names missing from the list include; Manchester City’s Vincent Kompany and Yaya Toure, Chelsea’s John Terry, Bayern Munich’s Arjen Robben, Porto’s Iker Casillas and Real Madrid’s James Rodriguez.
The 55-player short list:
Goalkeepers (5): Claudio Bravo (Chile/Barcelona/Manchester City), Gianluigi Buffon (Italy/Juventus), David de Gea (Spain/Manchester United), Keylor Navas (Costa Rica/Real Madrid) and Manuel Neuer (Germany/Bayern Munich).
Defenders (20): David Alaba (Austria/Bayern Munich), Jordi Alba (Spain/Barcelona), Serge Aurier (Ivory Coast/Paris St Germain), Hector Bellerin (Spain/Arsenal), Jerome Boateng (Germany/Bayern Munich), Leonardo Bonucci (Italy/Juventus), Dani Carvajal (Spain/Real Madrid), Giorgio Chiellini (Italy/Juventus), Dani Alves (Brazil/Barcelona/Juventus), David Luiz (Brazil/Paris St Germain/Chelsea), Diego Godin (Uruguay/Atletico Madrid), Mats Hummels (Germany/Borussia Dortmund/Bayern Munich), Philipp Lahm (Germany/Bayern Munich), Marcelo (Brazil/Real Madrid), Javier Mascherano (Argentina/Barcelona), Pepe (Portugal/Real Madrid), Gerard Pique (Spain/Barcelona), Sergio Ramos (Spain/Real Madrid), Thiago Silva (Brazil/Paris St Germain) and Raphael Varane (France/Real Madrid).
Midfielders (15): Xabi Alonso (Spain/Bayern Munich), Sergio Busquets (Spain/Barcelona), Kevin De Bruyne (Belgium/Manchester City), Eden Hazard (Belgium/Chelsea), Andres Iniesta (Spain/Barcelona), N’Golo Kante (France/Leicester/Chelsea) Toni Kroos (Germany/Real Madrid), Luka Modric (Croatia/Real Madrid), Mesut Ozil (Germany/Arsenal), Dimitri Payet (France/West Ham), Paul Pogba (France/Juventus/Manchester United), Ivan Rakitic (Croatia/Barcelona), David Silva (Spain/Manchester City), Marco Verratti (Italy/Paris St Germain) and Arturo Vidal (Chile/Bayern Munich).
Strikers (15): Sergio Aguero (Argentina/Manchester City), Gareth Bale (Wales/Real Madrid), Karim Benzema (France/Real Madrid), Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal/Real Madrid), Paulo Dybala (Argentina/Juventus), Antoine Griezmann (France/Atletico Madrid), Gonzalo Higuain (Argentina/Napoli/Juventus), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Sweden/Paris St Germain/Manchester United), Robert Lewandowski (Poland/Bayern Munich), Lionel Messi (Argentina/Barcelona), Thomas Muller (Germany/Bayern Munich), Neymar (Brazil/Barcelona), Alexis Sanchez (Chile/Arsenal), Luis Suarez (Uruguay/Barcelona) and Jamie Vardy (England/Leicester).
Meet the 30-men vying for the 2016 Ballon d’Or award.
Another Ballon d’Or award is upon us. And perennial rivals, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are in the front seat. Noticeably, there’s an increase in this year’s number of nominees (23-30). The list will be whittled down to three, and the winner and the final placings will be revealed on Dec. 13 by France Football
30-man Shortlist
Sergio Aguero (Manchester City),
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Borussia Dortmund),
Gareth Bale (Real Madrid),
Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus),
Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid),
Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City),
Paulo Dybala (Juventus),
Diego Godin (Atletico Madrid),
Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid),
Gonzalo Higuain (Napoli/Juventus),
Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Paris Saint-Germain/Manchester United),
Andres Iniesta (Barcelona),
Koke (Atletico Madrid),
Toni Kroos (Real Madrid),
Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich),
Hugo Lloris (Tottenham),
Riyad Mahrez (Leicester City),
Lionel Messi (Barcelona),
Luka Modric (Real Madrid),
Thomas Muller (Bayern Munich),
Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich),
Neymar (Barcelona),
Dimitri Payet (West Ham),
Pepe (Real Madrid),
Paul Pogba (Juventus/Manchester United),
Rui Patricio (Sporting),
Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid),
Luis Suarez (Barcelona),
Jamie Vardy (Leicester City),
Arturo Vidal (Bayern Munich)