Your cart

Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo nominated for Ballon d’Or as France Football release first five names of 30-man shortlist

GARETH BALE is on the 30-man shortlist for the 2016 Ballon d’Or, alongside team-mate and favourite Cristiano Ronaldo.

France Football magazine, who presided over the award from 1956 to 2009 until agreeing a six-year deal with Fifa, are releasing the list of nominees in bunches of fives.

SEVILLE, SPAIN - OCTOBER 15: Gareth Bale of Real Madrid CF looks on during the match between Real Betis Balompie and Real Madrid CF as part of La Liga at Benito Villamrin stadium October 15, 2016 in Seville, Spain. (Photo by Aitor Alcalde/Getty Images)
Gareth Bale nominated for 2016 Ballon d’Or, but Cristiano Ronaldo is favourite
Getty Images

Sergio Aguero, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Gianluigi Buffon are the other names on the list.

Keep up to date with ALL the Ballon d’Or news by clicking HERE

Real Madrid's Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo (L) kicks the ball beside Real Madrid's forward Alvaro Morata during the Spanish league football match between Real Madrid CF and Athletic Club Bilbao at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid on October 23, 2016. / AFP PHOTO / CURTO DE LA TORRECURTO DE LA TORRE/AFP/Getty Images
Cristiano Ronaldo would become second player to win Ballon d’Or four times
Getty Images

Bale would become the first-ever Welsh winner and seventh Brit to claim the award, should he become the first player other than Lionel Messi or Ronaldo to win the award since Kaka in 2007.

The Fifa World Player of the Year and Ballon d’Or awards merged in 2009, but has seen only two winners since.

Football’s governing body ended its £13million contract to resurrect its own award.

Real Madrid's Gareth Bale, right, and Cristiano Ronaldo attend a training session at the team's Valdebebas training ground in Madrid, Monday, Oct. 17, 2016. Real Madrid will play a Champions League group F soccer match against Legia Warsaw on Tuesday 18. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo enjoyed stellar campaigns for club and country
AP:Associated Press

Related Articles

the £2m free transfer

Demba Ba got nearly £1m for image rights as part of £2m fee Newcastle paid when he joined on 'free' transfer - in deal which sparked HMRC footie probe

Neil Ashton

Money talks but Antonio Conte should try keeping his mouth shut about Premier League rivals

LOS£R!

Joey Barton made over 700 bets after ignoring warning letter from the FA as he prepares for 18-month ban

LATEST RESULTS

Manchester derby ends in stalemate despite late red card for Marouane Fellaini

PREM FIXTURES

Arsenal will hope to stop Tottenham title charge in the north London derby
AC Milan and Brazil playmaker Kaka holds the 2007 Ballon d'Or trophy in Paris December 2, 2007. Kaka was awarded the 2007 Ballon d'Or by French magazine France Football and is already the winner of the FIFPro world Player of the Year and UEFA European Club Player of the Year awards and is the big favourite for FIFA's World Player of the Year award to be announced later this month. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier (FRANCE).
Kaka was last man before Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi to win Ballon d'Or
Reuters
Football Soccer - AC Milan v Juventus - San Siro stadium, Milan Italy- 22/10/16 - Juventus' goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon gestures. REUTERS/Alessandro Garofalo
Gianluigi Buffon has also been included on Ballon d'Or shortlist by France Football
Reuters

Ronaldo is red-hot favourite to become only the second player — after Messi — to win the Ballon d’Or on four occasions.

The 31-year-old won the Champions League with Real Madrid, before leading Portugal to their first-ever major honour with victory at Euro 2016.

TOPSHOT - Dortmund's Gabonese forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scores a goal during the UEFA Champions League football match Sporting CP vs BVB Borussia Dortmund at the Jose Alvalade stadium in Lisbon on October 18, 2016. / AFP PHOTO / PATRICIA DE MELO MOREIRAPATRICIA DE MELO MOREIRA/AFP/Getty Images
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has enjoyed a stellar 2016 with Dortmund
Getty Images
Manchester City's Argentinian striker Sergio Aguero celebrates scoring a goal during the UEFA Champions league first leg play-off football match between Steaua Bucharest and Manchester City at the National Arena stadium in Bucharest on August 16, 2016. / AFP PHOTO / DANIEL MIHAILESCUDANIEL MIHAILESCU/AFP/Getty Images
Sergio Aguero is the only Premier League nominee on Ballon d'Or shortlist so far
Getty Images
VALENCIA, SPAIN - OCTOBER 22: Lionel Messi of FC Barcelona celebrates towards a TV camera after scoring his team's third from the penalty spot during the La Liga match between Valencia CF and FC Barcelona at Mestalla stadium on October 22, 2016 in Valencia, Spain. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)
Lionel Messi is enjoyed his best-ever goal scoring start to a season in 2016-17
Getty Images

Bale also impressed the summer, as his three goals, which included the opener against England, helped Wales reach the semi-finals, where they lost to Ronaldo and Co.

Messi is likely to be a strong contender once again after helping Barcelona win La Liga and the Copa del Rey and Argentina reach the final of the Copa America — and has enjoyed his best goal scoring start to a season yet.

Ballon d'Or shortlist

Sergio Aguero — (Manchester City and Argentina)
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang — (Borussia Dortmund and Gabon)
Gareth Bale — (Real Madrid and Wales)
Gianluigi Buffon — (Juventus and Italy)
Cristiano Ronaldo — (Real Madrid and Portugal)

Leave a comment

← Back to Latest Sports News - results, live scores, fixtures | The Sun