The 30 man shortlist for the 2016 Ballon d’Or award has been released by France Football and it’s mix of the usual suspects and some notable first timers.
France Football Magazine is back to handing out the award solo after their partnership with Fifa ended, and announced the nominees for their award progressively throughout the day until all 30 had been named.
Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Luis Surez can be described as favourites for the award, although Ronaldo is the standout.
Leicester City’s fairy tale run to Premier League glory has been rewarded with places handed to two stars: Algeria’s Riyad Mahrez, the only African on the list, and Jamie Vardy, who’s the only Englishman on the list. The world’s most expensive player, Paul Pogba makes his appearance on the list, as does teamate Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Check out the full 30man shortlist below….