Manchester United shot stopper David de Gea and Tottenham goal poacher Harry Kane have joined the likes of Neymar and Luis Suarez as nominees for the 2017 Ballon d’Or award, with the first 15 candidates released.
Juventus forward Paulo Dybala and Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric also feature, with France Football releasing the full 30-man list in batches over the course of October 9.
Neymar has been recognised following an eventful year that has seen the Brazil star impress for both his national team and Barcelona, before his world-record summer transfer to PSG
Similarly, Dybala has enjoyed a stand-out 2017, helping Juventus to yet another Serie A title and the Champions League final.
Modric, meanwhile, played pivotal roles as Madrid won the Liga title, while Zinedine Zidane’s side became the first team to win back-to-back Champions League titles, and is joined on the list by team-mates Sergio Ramos and Marcelo.
Chelsea midfielder N’Golo Kante is also among the nominees after he claimed his second Premier League title in a row following his switch from Leicester City.
Philippe Coutinho, De Gea, Kane and Kevin De Bruyne are also recognised for their performances in the English top-flight.
Other nominees include Napoli forward Dries Mertens, Atletico Madrid goalkeeper Jan Oblak and Roma striker Edin Dzeko, who finished as Serie A’s top goalscorer last season.
The next announcement is due at 17:50 (CET), with further confirmation of nominees coming at 18:35 and 19:15.
Both Cristiano Ronaldo, who is the current holder of the award and aiming to claim his fifth title, and Lionel Messi are expected to be nominated later in the day, while the likes of Antoine Griezmann and Gianluigi Buffon are also likely to be included.
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