[Mhiz Rebecca]

Neymar will not be joining Barça team-mates Lionel
Messi and Luis Suarez on the shortlist to for UEFA’s
Best Player in Europe award, with Cristiano Ronaldo,
Gareth Bale and Antonine Griezmann also making the
grade.
The Brazilian was a fundamental part of the “MSN” trio
that helped the Blaugrana achieve the league and Copa
del Rey double last season, as well as the European
Super Cup and Club World Cup titles.
As in previous years, journalists from each of the
member federations sent a list of five candidates, the
first of whom received five points, the second four and
so forth.
The ten players with the most points advance to the
second round, which will determine the three finalists on
August 5.
Voting to decide the winner will take place during the
Champions League group stage draw in Monaco on
August 25. Lionel Messi, last year’s winner, could
achieve his third award after receiving the first in 2011.
Other past winners include Andres Iniesta (2012), Franck
Ribery (2013) and Ronaldo (2014).
NOMINEES IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER ARE:
1. Gareth Bale (Real Madrid & Wales)
2. Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus & Italy)
3. Antoine Griezmann (Atlético Madrid & France)
4. Toni Kroos (Real Madrid & Germany)
5. Lionel Messi (Barcelona & Argentina)
6.Thomas Müller (Bayern München & Germany)
7. Manuel Neuer (Bayern München & Germany)
8. Pepe (Real Madrid & Portugal)
9. Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid & Portugal)
10. Luis Suárez (Barcelona & Uruguay)
In total, 37 players received votes in the initial poll.
Those not in the final shortlist are revealed below in
order of how they finished:
11. Riyad Mahrez (Leicester & Algeria)
12. Jamie Vardy (Leicester & England)
13. Dimitri Payet (West Ham & France)
14. Jérôme Boateng (Bayern München & Germany)
15. Arturo Vidal (Bayern München & Chile)
16. Luka Modrić (Real Madrid & Croatia)
17. N’Golo Kanté (Leicester & France)
18 Zlatan Ibrahimović (Paris Saint-Germain/Manchester
United & Sweden)
19. Eden Hazard (Chelsea & Belgium)
19. Andrés Iniesta (Barcelona & Spain)
19. Neymar (Barcelona & Brazil)
19. Renato Sanches (Benfica/Bayern München &
Portugal)
23 Robert Lewandowski (Bayern München & Poland)
24 Gonzalo Higuaín (Napoli & Argentina)
25. Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus & Italy)
25. Diego Godin (Atlético Madrid & Uruguay)
25. Will Grigg (Wigan & Northern Ireland)
25. Hugo Lloris (Tottenham & France)
25. Paul Pogba (Juventus & France)
30. Toby Alderweireld (Tottenham & Belgium)
30. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Borussia Dortmund &
Gabon)
30. Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City & Belgium)
30. Kevin Gameiro (Sevilla & France)
30. Grzegorz Krychowiak (Sevilla/Paris Saint-Germain &
Poland)
30. Blaise Matuidi (Paris Saint-Germain & France)
30. Georges-Kévin N’Koudou (Marseille & France)
30. Jan Oblak (Atlético Madrid & Slovenia)