Ballon D'or 2016 rejects XI

#7 Ivan Rakitic

Rakitic has been an integral part of Barcelona’s team

Ivan Rakitic’s exclusion from the Ballon D’or shortlist comes as a surprise as the Croat put in some extremely good shows for Barcelona last season. The talented midfielder, along with Andres Iniesta, dictated many games from midfield for Barcelona.

The former Sevilla man scored when his team needed him the most. His performances saw Barcelona lift La Liga title for the second consecutive year. Barcelona also completed the double, winning the Copa Del Rey. The 28-year old had a great Euros too, as he saw Croatia reach the round of 16, beating then defending champions Spain 2-1.

For all his success last season, Barcelona fans would have been sure to see his name alongside Messi, Neymar, Suarez in the shortlist.