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.
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.
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.
See the full list:
Ballon d'Or shortlist: Gareth Bale (Wales), Karim
Benzema (France), Diego Costa (Spain), Thibaut
Courtois (Belgium), Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal),
Angel Di Maria (Argentina), Mario Goetze
(Germany), Eden Hazard (Belgium), Zlatan
Ibrahimovic (Sweden), Andres Iniesta (Spain),
Toni Kroos (Germany), Philipp Lahm (Germany),
Javier Mascherano (Argentina), Lionel Messi
(Argentina), Thomas Mueller (Germany), Manuel
Neuer (Germany), Neymar (Brazil), Paul Pogba
(France), Sergio Ramos (Spain), Arjen Robben
(Netherlands), James Rodriguez (Colombia),
Bastian Schweinsteiger (Germany), Yaya Toure
(Cote d'Ivoire).
Coach of the year shortlist: Carlo Ancelotti
(Italy/Real Madrid CF), Antonio Conte (Italy/
Juventus FC/Italy national team), Pep Guardiola
(Spain/FC Bayern Munich), Juergen Klinsmann
(Germany/ USA national team), Joachim Loew
(Germany/Germany national team), Jose
Mourinho (Portugal/Chelsea FC), Manuel
Pellegrini (Chile/Manchester City FC), Alejandro
Sabella (Argentina/Argentina national team),
Diego Simeone (Argentina/Atletico Madrid), Louis
van Gaal (Netherlands/Netherlands national
team/Manchester United FC).
www.cruzloaded.com

ciroro stands d better chance

oluwaveeboy:
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.
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.
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.
See the full list:
Ballon d'Or shortlist: Gareth Bale (Wales), Karim
Benzema (France), Diego Costa (Spain), Thibaut
Courtois (Belgium), Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal),
Angel Di Maria (Argentina), Mario Goetze
(Germany), Eden Hazard (Belgium), Zlatan
Ibrahimovic (Sweden), Andres Iniesta (Spain),
Toni Kroos (Germany), Philipp Lahm (Germany),
Javier Mascherano (Argentina), Lionel Messi
(Argentina), Thomas Mueller (Germany), Manuel
Neuer (Germany), Neymar (Brazil), Paul Pogba
(France), Sergio Ramos (Spain), Arjen Robben
(Netherlands), James Rodriguez (Colombia),
Bastian Schweinsteiger (Germany), Yaya Toure
(Cote d'Ivoire).
Coach of the year shortlist: Carlo Ancelotti
(Italy/Real Madrid CF), Antonio Conte (Italy/
Juventus FC/Italy national team), Pep Guardiola
(Spain/FC Bayern Munich), Juergen Klinsmann
(Germany/ USA national team), Joachim Loew
(Germany/Germany national team), Jose
Mourinho (Portugal/Chelsea FC), Manuel
Pellegrini (Chile/Manchester City FC), Alejandro
Sabella (Argentina/Argentina national team),
Diego Simeone (Argentina/Atletico Madrid), Louis
van Gaal (Netherlands/Netherlands national
team/Manchester United FC).
www.cruzloaded.com

I hereby include ahmed musa as the 24th member in the list, I may consider including mikel obi come january in other that the finalist becomes 4