5 shocking omissions from the 2017 Ballon d'Or shortlist

It's that time of the year when individual trophies take centre stage and a select few are rewarded for the effort of the many. Yes, it's time for the Ballon d'Or and French Football released the 30-man shortlist of players who have been nominated for the prestigious award that has split opinions since its inception 61 years ago.

Of course, the usual suspects such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, and Neymar make the list. However, there are a few inclusions that saw fans raise an eyebrow.

But some big names were missing altogether and that saw jaws drop. Nobody is saying they deserve to win the award but to exclude them from a 30-man shortlist is denying them credit for a great season.

1) Alexis Sanchez (Arsenal and Chile)

To put it bluntly, Alexis Sanchez was in the form of his life in 2016/17. When the rest of the Arsenal squad's shoulders drooped, the Chilean striker took it upon himself to drag them over the finish line on a number of occasions.

Of course, that alone is not enough considering Arsenal failed to qualify for the Champions League. But look at his numbers last season - 30 goals and 13 assists. The man was on a mission to prove to the world that he was among the elite.

And yet, he finds no place on the list of 30 players to be nominated. The man even helped Arsenal win their third FA Cup in four years to set a new record.

In contrast, players such as Sadio Mane and Philippe Coutinho are on the list when they contributed far less than the Chilean international who also had a good outing in the FIFA Confederations Cup where La Roja finished runners-up before he led them to the brink of qualification in the World Cup qualifiers.

2) Sergio Aguero (Manchester City and Argentina)

Sergio Aguero not nominated Ballon d'Or — Sergio Aguero carried Manchester City to the Champions League last season

When Pep Guardiola took over Manchester City last season, few expected the Catalan manager to bench the second-highest active goalscorer in the Premier League (after Wayne Rooney).

Sergio Aguero had won the Premier League Golden Boot in 2014/15 and had missed out by a whisker the following year. In 2016/17, he had managed only 20 league goals due to the fewer minutes afforded to him by Guardiola but most of them came in this calendar year following an injury to new signing Gabriel Jesus.

Guardiola qualified for the Champions League mainly because of Aguero's heroics. Despite being "second-choice", the Argentine striker scored 33 goals in all competitions. The next best in the City squad was 10 from Raheem Sterling.

And he's already on the hunt for the Golden Boot this season with six goals in the league which came at a better minutes-per-goal ratio than Romelu Lukaku, Alvaro Morata, and Harry Kane.

Compared to Aguero, Karim Benzema had his worst season in a Real Madrid shirt since his debut season at the Bernabeu and still managed to get a nomination because the team won the La Liga and Champions League double.

3) Paul Pogba (Manchester United and France)

Paul Pogba not nominated Ballon d'Or — Paul Pogba missed out on a nomination this year

Yes, the then-record £89m transfer fee (which seems like pittance following this summer's transfer business) was a huge burden on the Paul Pogba's shoulders. But it was a burden he carried well before coming good in the second half of the 2016/17 season.

Jose Mourinho took his time and experimented with various midfield combinations to get the best out of the French midfielder and once he found the right strategy, Pogba was unstoppable.

The 24-year-old soon established himself as a force to reckon with when he became the first player to complete 1,000 passes in the opposition half in the Premier League.

Pogba formed a lethal partnership with Zlatan Ibrahimovic and were the Swedish striker a few years younger and a little faster (not to mention, less wasteful), Pogba would have collected a lot more assists.

Though the team struggled as a whole, Pogba was at the heart of the squad that went on an unbeaten run that lasted 25 games - a new club record. And in a season of transition, they still managed to win two trophies (League Cup and Europa League).

4) Dani Alves (Juventus/PSG and Brazil)

Dani Alves not nominated Ballon d'Or — Dani Alves was not nominated after a stellar season with Juventus

When Dani Alves made the switch to Juventus, he told Gianluigi Buffon that he would help him win the Champions League - the only trophy missing from an otherwise impressive resume. He almost did before Real Madrid derailed their dreams of winning the big one in the final.

But take nothing away from the Brazilian who was quite different to the full-backs you see in Italian football. Not many in his role love to attack as much as Alves does and the veteran right-back even found himself on the score sheet on more than one occasion.

He had helped The Old Lady win the Serie A and Coppa Italia titles. The Champions League win would have given them a historic treble.

His heroics in the knockout stages of the competition with crucial goals and assists saw Juve reach the final with wins over former club Barcelona and high-flying AS Monaco.

Defenders usually do not get a nomination unless they are the cream of the crop. But Alves is not just a defender, he's a tireless runner that operates on the flank on both ends of the pitch who could play as a full-back or a wing-back.

At 34, he had one of his finest seasons, even though it was a bittersweet end to the season. But he deserved a nomination for his role in Juve's march to the Champions League final and two trophy wins.

5) Cesar Azpilicueta (Chelsea and Spain)

Cesar Azpilicueta not nominated Ballon d'Or — Cesar Azpilicueta was Chelsea's unsung hero in their Premier League title triumph

The Spanish international from Chelsea had yet another successful season at Stamford Bridge as they were crowned Premier League champions but he still went under the radar - probably due to his unassuming nature and ability to go about doing his job unnoticed.

Antonio Conte knew he had a diamond at the back, saying: "For a coach to have him is a dream. Last season Azpi was one of the most important players for us."

One of the primary reasons why Azpilicueta is so reliable is because of his versatility. The fact that he could play on either flank as a full-back, in a three-man defence or even as a wing-back were qualities that eased Conte's transition from a back-four to a back-three that eventually saw them go on a league-record-equaling winning run before winning the league title.

Not only that, he also played each and every minute of the season as Chelsea were crowned champions; a feat accomplished by only three other outfield players who became champions. In a league as demanding as the Premier League, Azpilicueta played every game from start to finish.