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The coveted Ballon d'Or award is the most prestigious award in the world of football. Every player who plays the game aspires to win this trophy.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have won it the most number of times in the last 10 years, but Luka Modric is the favourite to win the prize this year.
The shortlist has now revealed the list of the players who have made it into the top 30. Several star players have not been included, and their fans are disappointed with their omission.
Here is an XI of players, lining up in a 4-3-3 formation, that deserved to be nominated for the Ballon d'Or, but have not been included in the shortlist.
David de Gea (Goalkeeper)
David de Gea is the goalkeeper for Manchester United. He did not perform well at the 2018 World Cup for his national side, Spain.
For this coveted award, several other goalkeepers such as Hugo Lloris, Alisson, Jan Oblak, and Thibaut Courtois have been shortlisted this year, but De Gea was not included on the shortlist.
In the last season, he was in a fine form which made his club finish at the second spot in the Premier League. De Gea conceded only 23 league goals last season.
Joshua Kimmich (Right-back)
Joshua Kimmich plays as a right-back for Germany and Bayern Munich. He is versatile in defensive and attacking roles.
Kimmich had a disastrous 2018 World Cup with Germany, and that could be one of the reasons that his name did not appear in the list.
Many consider him to be the future of Germany and Bayern Munich. Kimmich has appeared 35 times for his national team so far. He helped his club lift three Bundesliga titles. In the 2017/18 season, Kimmich played 36 matches for Bayern Munich. He tackled 2.2 times per game and intercepted 1.7 times per game.
Samuel Umtiti (Center-Back)
Samuel Umtiti is from France who plays as a center-back for the Spanish giants, Barcelona. He is known for his extraordinary ability to analyze the game and taking known risks.
Though he scored a winner in the World cup when France defeated Belgium by 1-0, he still did not get shortlisted for this award. Raphael Varane, his central defensive partner, is in the list though.
In the 2017/18 season, he played 33 matches. Umtiti tackled 3.3 times per game and intercepted 3.7 times per game.
Gerard Pique (Center-Back)
Gerard Pique plays as a center-back for Barcelona. At 31, he is playing like a champion. He is known for his passing skills and good technique.
Pique played an important role in winning the UEFA Euro 2012 and 2010 FIFA World Cup for Spain. He retired from the national duty in the summer following few controversies.
Pique is regarded as one of the top defenders in the world. In the 2017/18 season, he played 38 matches which involved 2.3 tackles per game and 1.7 interceptions per game.
David Alaba (Left-Back)
David Alaba plays for Austria and Bayern Munich as a left-back. At 18, he was the youngest player to play for his national side.
Austria did not qualify in the 2018 World Cup, and that could be one of the reasons for his exclusion.
Alaba has played over 300 matches for Bayern with 29 goals so far. In the 2017/18 season, he had 2 tackles per game and 1.4 interceptions per game.
Sergio Busquets (Central Midfielder)
Sergio Busquets belongs to Spain and plays as a defensive midfielder for Barcelona. He is endowed with the tactical intelligence and defensive attributes.
They know him as the most underrated football player in the world, and this could be one of the probable reasons for leaving him out of this list.
Busquets has appeared more than 500 times for the Barca first team. In the 2017/18 season, he played 39 club matches with 5.1 tackles per game and 2.1 interceptions per game.
Toni Kroos (Right Midfielder)
Toni Kroos is a German football player who plays as a midfielder for the Spanish giant, Real Madrid. They consider him as one of the best-attacking midfielders in the world. He is known for his long shots and the ability to set up goals.
Kroos scored in the match against Sweden during the 2018 World Cup. In the 2017/18 season, he played 36 matches with 3.6 tackles per game and 1.2 interceptions per game.
He also picked up his third Champions League trophy with Real Madrid. Kroos was chosen 17th in the voting last year, and hence his omission comes as a surprise.
David Silva (Left Midfielder)
David Silva plays as a central midfielder for Spain and the English club, Manchester City. He is known for keeping the ball in his possession and for his passing ability. They nicknamed him ‘El Mago.’
Last year, Silva played a crucial role in winning the Premier League title for his club with his performance. In the 2017/18 season, he played 33 matches with 1.5 tackles per game and 1.5 interceptions per game.
Silva is going great in the current season. He scored in the wins against Fulham, Hoffenheim, and Huddersfield Town. This is why his fans are disappointed at his exclusion from the list.
Philippe Coutinho (Left Winger)
Philippe Coutinho plays as an attacking midfielder for Brazil and Barcelona. He is known for scoring from curling shots and assisting his teammates.
Coutinho scored for the Brazilian team in the World Cup, but his fine form did not rescue his side from being out of the tournament. He has scored 13 goals in 44 international matches so far.
In the 2017/18 season, he played 20 matches with 13 goals and seven assists. Coutinho must be disappointed for not being nominated in the list for this award.
Paulo Dybala (Right Winger)
Paulo Dybala plays as a forward for Argentina and Juventus. They nicknamed him ‘La Joya’ for his technique, pace, and goal scoring ability.
He was 15th in the 2017 list but surprisingly did not make the cut in the present list. Dybala was overlooked by the Argentina coach in the 2018 World Cup, and this could be one of the reasons for his omission. In the 2017/18 season, Dybala played 34 matches with 23 goals and five assists.
Currently, he is rubbing shoulders with Cristiano Ronaldo at Juventus, and he scored a hat-trick against the Young Boys last week.
Robert Lewandowski (Forward and Striker)
Robert Lewandowski is a striker from Poland and Bayern Munich. He has won the ‘Polish Player of the Year’ title seven times, so far.
Last year, Lewandowski was ninth on the list with 45 points, but this year he has not appeared in the list. One of the reasons could be his failure to score in the 2018 World Cup.
In the 2017/18 season, he played 35 matches with 34 goals and three assists.
