Messi, Ronaldo top shortlist for FIFA Player Award; Ozil, Sanchez included
After failing to be nominated for France Football's Ballon d'Or award, Arsenal duo Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez earned respect from FIFA as two of the final 23 players shortlisted for world football's player of the year honour Friday.
Joining the Gunners are some of the usual suspects who turn up at the galas, with Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Luis Suarez, Neymar, and Gareth Bale all selected.
The oldest nominee is Gianluigi Buffon, who at 38 years old is still turning out great performance in net for Juventus. He and Manuel Neuer are the only goalkeepers in the running for the award.
There are 10 Premier League stars on the list, including Leicester City's Riyad Mahrez and Jamie Vardy. N'Golo Kante, who secured a summer move to Chelsea, is also included after his tireless efforts in the Foxes' title-winning run.
The shortlist, decided by a handful of experts from FIFA's Football Committee, is now open to voting until Nov. 22. The captains and managers of FIFA's member nations will contribute to 50 percent of the vote, while the public and media will account for the other half.
Here is the complete list:
Sergio Aguero (Argentina/Manchester City), Gareth Bale (Wales/Real Madrid), Gianluigi Buffon (Italy/Juventus), Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal/Real Madrid), Kevin De Bruyne (Belgium/Manchester City), Antoine Griezmann (France/Atletico Madrid), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Sweden/Paris Saint-Germain/Manchester United), Andres Iniesta (Spain/Barcelona), N'Golo Kante (France/Leicester City/Chelsea), Toni Kroos (Germany/Real Madrid), Robert Lewandowski (Poland/Bayern Munich), Riyad Mahrez (Algeria/Leicester City), Lionel Messi (Argentina/Barcelona), Luka Modric (Croatia/Real Madrid), Manuel Neuer (Germany/Bayern Munich), Neymar (Brazil/Barcelona), Mesut Özil (Germany/Arsenal), Dimitri Payet (France/West Ham), Paul Pogba (France/Juventus/Manchester United), Sergio Ramos (Spain/Real Madrid), Alexis Sanchez (Chile/Arsenal), Luis Suarez (Uruguay/Barcelona), Jamie Vardy (England/Leicester City)