Real Madrid forward on course to make it a hat-trick of awards but last season's joint top goalscorer in Europe not included on list of 2014 nominees
Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo, the current holder of the Ballon d'Or award, and four-time winner and Barcelona playmaker Lionel Messi are among Fifa's 23-man shortlist for this year's honour.
There was, however, no place among the nominees for Luis Suarez, Europe's
joint top goalscorer last season.
All of the 23 players named, however, ply their trade in Europe, for eight different clubs. Real Madrid and Bayern Munich both have six players, while Barca have four.
There are five representatives from the Premier League, with Chelsea boasting three: Diego Costa, Thibaut Courtois and Eden Hazard, who has been included for the third straight year.
Suarez, despite scoring 31 Premier League goals last season for Liverpool before making a big summer move to Barcelona, has been overlooked completely.
The Uruguayan made his return from a four-month ban for biting an opponent at the World Cup in the weekend's El Clasico.
And there is a clause in the voting regulations for the Ballon d'or which references "overall behaviour", with Suarez's deemed to warrant his absence.
Ballon d'Or shortlist:
The 10 candidates for Coach of the Year award were also named. They are:
The list, which was compiled by Fifa's Football Committee and France Football,
will be cut down to three finalists in January.
Ronaldo is hot favourite to complete a hat-trick, having clinched the award
last year and back in 2008
England do not have a single player named on the list, while World Cup winners
Germany have the most players with six.
All of the 23 players named, however, ply their trade in Europe, for eight different clubs. Real Madrid and Bayern Munich both have six players, while Barca have four.
There are five representatives from the Premier League, with Chelsea boasting three: Diego Costa, Thibaut Courtois and Eden Hazard, who has been included for the third straight year.
Suarez, despite scoring 31 Premier League goals last season for Liverpool before making a big summer move to Barcelona, has been overlooked completely.
The Uruguayan made his return from a four-month ban for biting an opponent at the World Cup in the weekend's El Clasico.
And there is a clause in the voting regulations for the Ballon d'or which references "overall behaviour", with Suarez's deemed to warrant his absence.
Ballon d'Or shortlist:
- Gareth Bale, Wales, Real Madrid
- Karim Benzema, France, Real Madrid
- Diego Costa, Spain, Chelsea
- Thibaut Courtois, Belgium, Chelsea
- Angel Di Maria, Argentina, Manchester United
- Mario Gotze, Germany, Bayern Munich
- Eden Hazard, Belgium, Chelsea
- Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Sweden, Paris Saint-Germain
- Andres Iniesta, Spain, Barcelona
- Toni Kroos, Germany, Real Madrid
- Philipp Lahm, Germany, Bayern Munich
- Javier Mascherano, Argentina, Barcelona
- Lionel Messi, Argentina, Barcelona
- Thomas Muller, Germany, Bayern Munich
- Manuel Neuer, Germany, Bayern Munich
- Neymar, Brazil, Barcelona
- Paul Pogba, France, Juventus
- Sergio Ramos, Spain, Real Madrid
- Arjen Robben, Netherlands, Bayern Munich
- James Rodriguez, Colombia, Real Madrid
- Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal, Real Madrid
- Bastian Schweinsteiger, Germany, Bayern Munich
- Yaya Toure, Ivory Coast, Manchester City
The 10 candidates for Coach of the Year award were also named. They are:
- Carlo Ancelotti, Real Madrid
- Antonio Conte, Juventus/Italy
- Pep Guardiola, Bayern Munich
- Jurgen Klinsmann, United States
- Joachim Low, Germany
- Jose Mourinho, Chelsea
- Manuel Pellegrini, Manchester City
- Alejandro Sabella, Argentina
- Diego Simeone, Atletico Madrid
- Louis van Gaal, Netherlands/Manchester United
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