THERE IS NO shortage of Premier League talent among the nominees for this year’s Ballon d’Or, with France Football, the organisers of the coveted award for the world’s best player, naming the 30-man shortlist today.
England internationals Harry Kane and Raheem Sterling are both included after playing starring roles in their country’s run to the Euro 2020 final.
Two other England players, Mason Mount and Phil Foden, are also nominated after winning the Champions League and Premier League with Chelsea and Manchester City respectively.
They take their place on a list that includes the likes of serial winners Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo and other world stars such as Neymar, Kylian Mbappe and Luis Suarez.
🌟 The 30 nominees for the 2021 Men's Ballon d'Or have been revealed!
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) October 8, 2021
Who is your winner? 🏆 pic.twitter.com/S3vOFABbTH
In all 14 Premier League players make the cut with City and Chelsea each represented by five players.
Kevin De Bruyne, Ruben Dias and Riyad Mahrez join Foden and Sterling in the City contingent while Jorginho, who also won Euro 2020 with Italy, N’Golo Kante, Cesar Azpilicueta and Mount are rewarded for their Chelsea heroics.
A fifth Chelsea player, Romelu Lukaku, also makes the list but primarily for his exploits with former club Inter Milan, with whom he won Serie A, and Belgium.
Similarly, Ronaldo is one of two Manchester United players on the list but he is recognised for his output with Juventus and Portugal. International team-mate Bruno Fernandes is the other nominated United player.
Liverpool striker Mohamed Salah is included along with Tottenham striker Kane.
Other notable inclusions are Euro 2020 winners Nicolo Barella, Leonardo Bonucci, Giorgio Chiellini and Gianluigi Donnarumma while Borussia Dortmund’s Erling Haaland also features.
Luka Modric, the only player other than Messi or Ronaldo to have won the award since 2008 after his 2018 success, is also included. Messi, who won the Copa America with Argentina before leaving Barcelona for Paris St Germain, appears the bookmakers’ favourite.
England’s Ellen White and Fran Kirby, of Manchester City and Chelsea respectively, are among 20 nominees for the women’s prize.
The Ballon d’Or ceremony, which did not take place last year due to the coronavirus pandemic, is in Paris on 29 November.
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