La Liga dominates final Ballon d’Or shortlist

PLAYERS from La Liga have dominated the shortlist of this year’s Ballon D’or contenders.

Eleven La Liga stars were announced among the list of 30, which includes seven Real Madrid stars. 

Cristiano Ronaldo, the favourite to retain the award, is joined by team-mates Isco, Sergio Ramos, Marcelo, Toni Kroos, Karim Benzema and Luka Modric.

There is no place for fellow Madrid star Gareth Bale though, who finished sixth in last year’s voting.

Lionel Messi, who is looking for his sixth award, is also included, as are Barcelona teammate Luis Suarez and Atletico Madrid’s Jan Oblak and Antoine Griezmann.

The Premier League boasts the second highest number of representatives with seven players, including in-form Tottenham striker Harry Kane.

The England front man has scored 15 goals in his last 10 games for club and country and features alongside Chelsea duo N’Golo Kante and Eden Hazard, Liverpool’s Sadio Mane and Phillipe Coutinho, Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne and Manchester United ´keeper David De Gea among the nominees.

Neymar, the world’s most expensive player, is looking to win his first award and joins new team-mates Edinson Cavani and Kylian Mbappe and Monaco’s Radamel Falcao make up the Ligue 1 contingency.

Bayern Munich Duo Mats Hummels and Robert Lewandowski, Dortmund’s Pierre Emerick Aubameyang, Roma’s Edin Dzeko, Dries Mrtens of Napoli, Milan’s Leonardo Bonucci and Juventus´ Pablo Dybala and 40-year-old Gianluigi Buffon complete the list.