FIFA names 23-player shortlist for Ballon d’Or

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi again head the list of candidates for the player of the year award, which they have combined to win for the past seven years.

All 23 players named on the Ballon D’Or Award shortlist Tuesday play for European clubs, though eight are from South America and one, Ivory Coast midfielder Yaya Toure, is African.

No Asian player or club featured in the nominations compiled by FIFA and France Football magazine. English and Italian players also failed to make the list.

.The winners will be announced on January 11th,2016 at a ceremony in Zurich.
The list of Ballon d’Or nominees will be shortened to the final three contenders on Nov. 30 with Messi and Ronaldo almost certain to make the cut.

Despite neither winning a major national team title, Messi and Ronaldo have shared the Ballon d’Or since 2008. Messi has won four awards and Ronaldo three, including in 2013 and 2014.

Sampaoli is competing with nine coaches of European clubs, including Luis Enrique of Barcelona and Jose Mourinho of English champion Chelsea.
Voting is by national team coaches and captains, plus a selected journalist, from each of FIFA’s 209 member federations. Polling closes on November 2015.

Players shortlist:

Gareth Bale (Wales/Real Madrid)
Karim Benzema (France/Real Madrid),
Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal/Real Madrid)
Toni Kroos (Germany/Real Madrid),
James Rodriguez (Colombia/Real Madrid)
Sergio Aguero (Argentina/Manchester City)
Yaya Toure (Cote d’Ivoire/Manchester City)
Kevin De Bruyne(Belgium/VfL Wolfsburg/Manchester City)
Eden Hazard (Belgium/Chelsea)
Alexis Sanchez (Chile/Arsenal)
Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Sweden/Paris Saint-Germain)
Andres Iniesta (Spain/FC Barcelona)
Neymar (Brazil/FC Barcelona)
Javier Mascherano (Argentina/FC Barcelona),
Lionel Messi (Argentina/FC Barcelona)
Ivan Rakitic (Croatia/FC Barcelona)
Luis Suarez (Uruguay/FC Barcelona)
Robert Lewandowski (Poland/FC Bayern Munich)
Thomas Muller (Germany/FC Bayern Munich)
Manuel Neuer (Germany/FC Bayern Munich)
Arjen Robben (Netherlands/FC Bayern Munich)
Arturo Vidal (Chile/Juventus/FC Bayern Munich).
Paul Pogba (France/Juventus),

Coach shortlist:

Massimiliano Allegri (Italy/Juventus)
Carlo Ancelotti (Italy/Real Madrid)
Laurent Blanc (France/Paris Saint-Germain)
Unai Emery (Spain/Sevilla)
Pep Guardiola (Spain/Bayern Munich)
Luis Enrique Martinez (Spain/Barcelona)
Jose Mourinho (Portugal/Chelsea)
Jorge Sampaoli (Argentina/Chile national team)
Diego Simeone (Argentina/Atletico Madrid)
Arsene Wenger (France/Arsenal).

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