FIFA unveils shortlist of 23 candidates for Ballon D’Or & 10 managers for Coach of the Year

The long awaited Ballon D’Or shortlist of players has just been released by world football governing body FIFA.

The list includes 23 players shortlisted from Europe, South America and Africa.

Also released was a 10-man list of club football managers for Coach of the Year award.

Current winner of the title, Cristiano Ronaldo was named in this year’s shortlist, alongside, six other players from Real Madrid.

Six players from German club Bayern Munich were also on the list.
Trailing behind are Barcelona with 4 players and Chelsea with 3, while, Man United, Juventus and Man City have one each.

Four-time winner Lionel Messi also made the list but his teammate Luis Suarez who recently came back from a four months ban by FIFA wasn’t included, despite, scoring 31 goals last season.

Two goalkeepers, Belgium’s Thibaut Courtois and Germany’s Manuel Neuer were also  listed for the title.
Yaya Toure is the only African on the list.

The list will be whittled down to three names by 1st of December and a final winner will be picked at a ceremony on January 12.

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 (Côte 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)

Jurgen 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)