The Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo is favoured to win the 2017 Ballon d'Or award for the world's best footballer.
Cristiano Ronaldo. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
The 30-man shortlist has been announced with the Portugese player favourite to retain the trophy to equal the record of his great rival and five-times winner Lionel Messi of Barcelona.
Tottenham striker Harry Kane has been named, while Chelsea midfielder Eden Hazard is 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.
Kane has been picked on the shortlist for the first time after scoring 43 goals in 37 games for club and country in 2017.
Messi 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.
The Ballon d'Or, which merged with the FIFA World Player of the Year award from 2010-15 to create the FIFA Ballon d'Or, returned to France Football magazine this year having been established in 1956.
A panel of journalists pick the winner.
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).
