Football news - Ballon d'Or 2018 long list: Ronaldo, Messi, Modric take their places

ByEurosport

Updated 08/10/2018 at 17:40 GMT

Eleven Premier League stars join Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Luka Modric on the 30-man long list for this year's Ballon d'Or.

Qui aura le Ballon d'Or 2018 ?

Image credit: Eurosport

The latest Ballon d'Or nominee announcement includes five-time previous winner Lionel Messi.

Early favourite Luka Modric has the chance to end the Messi-Ronaldo duopoly after a year that featured another Champions League win and a World Cup where he was voted best player and finished runner-up with Croatia.

The fifth batch also includes the world's most expensive footballer Neymar and Atletico Madrid goalkeeper Jan Oblak.

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World Cup winners Paul Pogba, Hugo Lloris and N'Golo Kante are among the nominees, with Premier League's man of the moment Eden Hazard also on the prestigious list.

Hazard was voted second best player at the World Cup behind Croatia captain Modric while Tottenham striker Kane claimed the Golden Boot at the finals this summer with six goals.

Chelsea midfielder Kante was a pivotal figure in France's World Cup success and helped his club win the FA Cup in May.

Kylian Mbappe joins the list of nominees after being the biggest name on the shortlist for France Football's new award for under 21-year-olds - the Kopa Trophy.

Champions League finalists Marcelo and Sadio Mane were both released in the fourth announcement of players nominated for the award alongside Juventus forward Mario Mandzukic.

They are joined by Atletico Madrid forward Antoine Griezmann and Real Madrid midfielder Isco from La Liga.

Cristiano Ronaldo, Kevin De Bruyne and Roberto Firmino were the second batch of names to be released to the public.

Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois and Atletico Madrid defender Diego Godin also make the final nominees, released throughout Monday by French magazine France Football.

Juventus striker Ronaldo won the award for a fifth time a year ago as a Real Madrid player.

Gareth Bale and Sergio Aguero were among the first five names to be named in alphabetical order.

Real Madrid forward Bale is joined by Los Blancos team-mate Karim Benzema while Paris Saint-Germain striker Edinson Cavani was also among the first five names to be announced.

Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson also makes the cut. The award ceremony takes place on December 3.

There is no place on the final list for Arsenal forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang or PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon.

We will keep you updated on the rest of the nominees as they are released which is expected to include an array of football icons such as Lionel Messi, Luka Modric, Kylian Mbappé and Neymar.

Madrid's Croatia playmaker Modric is a 4/7 favourite to win the award having won the FIFA gong for the men's player of the year.

Ronaldo and Messi have dominated the award since 2008 with five awards between then, but a Modric victory would end their decade-long domination of the prestigious honour.

A panel of journalists select the Ballon d'Or winner which was first established in 1956 and will this year feature a women's award for the first time.

The award merged with the FIFA World Player of the Year prize from 2010-15 to create the FIFA Ballon d'Or, but returned to France Football magazine in 2016 while FIFA established The Best awards.

Sir Stanley Matthews won the first Ballon d'Or in 1956.