Ballon d’Or: Kane, Messi, Neymar, Ronaldo, Hazard, De Gea, Kante shortlisted

Liverpool pair Sadio Mane and Philippe Coutinho are battling out for this year’s Ballon d’Or after the Reds duo were both named on a 30-player list of nominees. 

The prize is once more the domain of France Football after merging with the FIFA World Player of the Year award between 2010-15 and the winner will be decided by a selection panel of journalists.

Tottenham striker Harry Kane, Chelsea midfielder Eden Hazard are among six other Premier League players picked by France Football magazine for the prestigious prize.

David de Gea, Philippe Coutinho and Sadio Mane, Kevin de Bruyne and N’Golo Kante, have also been chosen. Gareth Bale misses out, while Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are selected.

Kane, 24, has been picked on the shortlist for the first time after scoring 43 goals in 37 games for club and country in 2017.

Wales forward Bale, 28, has only scored five goals for Real Madrid this year, struggling for form and fitness at the end of last season.

Real Madrid forward Ronaldo, 32, beat Barcelona’s Messi to win the award for a fourth time last year.

Messi, 30, has claimed the prize on five occasions, while no player other than the Argentine or his Portuguese rival has won since Brazil midfielder Kaka in 2007.

Ballon d’Or shortlist

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Borussia Dortmund and Gabon), Karim Benzema (Real Madrid and France), Leonardo Bonucci (AC Milan and Italy),Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus and Italy), Edinson Cavani (Paris St-Germain and Uruguay) Philippe Coutinho (Liverpool and Brazil), Kevin de Bruyne(Manchester City and Belgium), David de Gea (Manchester United and Spain), Paulo Dybala (Juventus and Argentina), Edin Dzeko (Roma and Bosnia-Herzegovina), Radamel Falcao (Monaco and Colombia), Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid and France), Eden Hazard (Chelsea and Belgium), Mats Hummels (Bayern Munich and Germany), Isco (Real Madrid and Spain), Harry Kane (Tottenham and England), N’Golo Kante (Chelsea and France), Toni Kroos (Real Madrid and Germany), Robert Lewandowski(Bayern Munich and Poland), Sadio Mane (Liverpool and Senegal), Marcelo(Real Madrid and Brazil), Kylian Mbappe (Paris St-Germain and France),Dries Mertens (Napoli and Belgium), Lionel Messi (Barcelona and Argentina) Luka Modric (Real Madrid and Croatia), Neymar (Paris St-Germain and Brazil), Jan Oblak (Atletico Madrid and Slovenia), Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid and Spain), Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid and Portugal), Luis Suarez (Barcelona and Uruguay). BBC Sport