FIFA Ballon D'or: Gareth Bale, Buffon and Aguero join Ronaldo in the nominees
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Gareth Bale to challenge Cristiano Ronaldo in the battle to win FIFA Ballon D'or 2016 | Image: Twitter[/caption]
Gareth Bale to challenge Cristiano Ronaldo in the battle to win FIFA Ballon D'or 2016 | Image: Twitter[/caption]
The three times' FIFA Ballon D'or winner Cristiano Ronaldo will have to take on Real Madrid teammate Gareth Bale for the Ballon d'Or this season. Both are short-listed on Monday which also featured Manchester City's Sergio Aguero, Borussia Dortmund's Gabon striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Juventus custodian Gianluigi Buffon.
Ballon d'Or sponsors France Football magazine released the names of the 30 shortlisted players in batches of five over the course of Monday. Argentine superstar Lionel Messi was expected to be added later.
Ronaldo, who won the award in 2008 and 2013-14, set himself up for a fourth Ballon d'Or when captaining Portugal to Euro 2016 glory and inspiring Real Madrid to an 11th Champions League triumph.
The winner will be will be determined by a vote of journalists - players (national team captains) and managers will no longer have a say after the ending of a five-year deal between France football and FIFA.
The first Ballon d'Or was won by Stanley Matthews, at the time with Blackpool, who beat Alfredo Di Stefano for the inaugural title in 1956.
Last year's honour went to Ronaldo's arch rival Messi, the Barcelona and Argentina legend winning it for the fifth time.
Kevin De Bruyne and Antoine Griezmann are among the latest names to be included on the shortlist for the Ballon d'Or.
The Manchester City and Atletico Madrid stars have been named among the contenders for France Football's prize, along with Atletico centre-back Diego Godin and Juventus forwards Paulo Dybala and Gonzalo Higuain.
The 30-man shortlist is being revealed by the publication in alphabetical, five-man groups throughout Monday. Sergio Aguero, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Gareth Bale, Gianluigi Buffon and Cristiano Ronaldo were the first names to be disclosed.
De Bruyne was exceptional in his first season in England following a reported £55million transfer from Wolfsburg, notching 16 goals and 14 assists in all competitions despite missing a number of weeks with a knee injury.
Griezmann's 32 goals fired Atletico to the Champions League final and third place in LaLiga, before he claimed the Euro 2016 Golden Boot with six strikes as France reached the final, where it lost to Portugal. Godin was pivotal to Atletico's campaign at the heart of their defence.
Paulo Dybala has developed into a key figure in Juventus' attack during his first year with the club, finishing as their top scorer with 23 goals last term.
His team-mate, Higuain, broke Gunnar Nordahl's 66-year record of 35 goals in a single season in Serie A, when his hat-trick for Napoli against Frosinone in May took his tally to 36. He has scored seven times for Juve since joining in a €90million deal in July.
03 Comments
Karla Gleichauf
12 May 2017 at 05:28 pm
On the other hand, we denounce with righteous indignation and dislike men who are so beguiled and demoralized by the charms of pleasure of the moment
M Shyamalan
12 May 2017 at 05:28 pm
On the other hand, we denounce with righteous indignation and dislike men who are so beguiled and demoralized by the charms of pleasure of the moment
Liz Montano
12 May 2017 at 05:28 pm
On the other hand, we denounce with righteous indignation and dislike men who are so beguiled and demoralized by the charms of pleasure of the moment