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Shafted stars: 5 players who deserved Ballon d'Or recognition

Stuart MacFarlane / Arsenal FC / Getty

The 30 nominees for the 2017 Ballon d'Or were revealed Monday, and naturally, it prompted as much discussion about those included as it did for a handful of players left off the list.

Related: Messi, Neymar, Griezmann among nominees on Ballon d'Or shortlist

Usual suspects Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, and Neymar were all suggested for the annual award voted upon by football journalists, and alongside the star-studded trio is a host of names the likes of Sadio Mane, Karim Benzema, and Mats Hummels who are sure to raise a few eyebrows.

With the focus on players not nominated who deserve the nod for stellar 2016-17 campaigns, here's a look at five footballers shafted by Monday's selection:

Alexis Sanchez (Arsenal)

For the sake of comparison, let's contrast Premier League wingers Sadio Mane and Alexis Sanchez. Last season with Liverpool, Ballon d'Or nominee Mane scored 13 league goals paired with five assists.

Sanchez, who was curiously not named, tallied 24 times to go with 10 helpers, and was the driving force behind a third FA Cup crown in four years. He also had three and three in the Champions League, a tournament that Mane and his Reds brethren were absent from.

Casemiro (Real Madrid)

Since only Chelsea star N'Golo Kante made the list among deep-lying midfielders, comparing the Real Madrid ball-stopper to his peers won't work in this instance.

Perhaps the fact that three other Los Blancos midfielders (Kross, Modric, Isco) were included played a factor in Casemiro's omission, or perhaps it's because no-nonsense, tough-tackling footballers get nary the praise of their attacking brethren. Either way, the 25-year-old Champions League Team of the Season member deserves some love for a critical role in Real's double-winning campaign, certainly more so than teammate Karim Benzema.

Paul Pogba (Manchester United)

After a slow start to his Manchester United return, Paul Pogba reminded pundits and fans alike why he is one of the world's best young players, guiding the Red Devils to a Europe League and League Cup double.

Considering Philippe Coutinho made the list, if the two midfielders can be likened, Pogba, who played in a deeper role than the Brazilian, had a brilliant maiden campaign in England's top flight, a division that typically requires an adaption period that has gotten the better of many a world-class player. To say that Pogba was not one of the 30 best footballers last season is nothing short of daft.

Thiago Alcantara (Bayern Munich)

If there was a better player in the Bundesliga last season than Bayern Munich midfield stud Thiago Alcantara, they've surely been included on the list. With a player of the Spanish international's ilk, metrics only tell half the story of the virtues of the 26-year-old hard-working match-winner.

Able to ply his trade in a central role both deep and advanced, Pep Guardiola's pet project finally had a healthy campaign under ousted Carlo Ancelotti, and there are few footballers in Europe that can excel at both ends of the pitch like Thiago. Since his debut senior season in 2008-09 with Barcelona, Thiago has been part of a league-winning team eight times in nine tries.

Christian Eriksen (Tottenham)

If statistics are a fair barometer of a playmaker's worth, Christian Eriksen's 15 Premier League assists last season were second only to Kevin De Bruyne, and his nine goals in five matches have single-handedly carried Denmark one step from the World Cup.

The eye test is a better judge of Eriksen's talents, and Tottenham's midfield engine has played a massive role in Harry Kane's emergence as one of the world's in-form strikers. To again use Coutinho as a point of comparison, save for goals scored, Eriksen was better in nearly every category, including 111 chances created to the Brazilian's 65, and 96 key passes to the Liverpool star's 58.

Honourable mentions: Dele Alli (Tottenham), Sergio Aguero (Manchester City), Fabinho (Monaco), Dani Alves (Juventus/PSG), Ousmane Dembele (Borussia Dortmund), Romelu Lukaku (Everton/Manchester United)

(Photos courtesy: Action Images)

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