Real Madrid
and Barcelona lead the way on the 59-strong list, with Wales star Gareth Bale
and former Liverpool striker Luis Suarez joining Messi and Ronaldo, who have
shared the award between them every year since 2008.
Six members
of the Juventus side that defied expectations to make the Champions League
final are included in the list, while there are five players from Bayern
Munich's Bundesliga winners.
However,
despite his heroics in Juve's magical season, which also saw them claim a
domestic double, goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon is a surprise omission from the
long-list.
However, the
biggest shocks come not at the pinnacle of European football, but from the
middle of the Championship table.
QPR
midfielder Luongo, who spent last year playing in League One for Swindon Town,
makes the list thanks to his exploits in the Asia Cup in January.
The
Australian was named best player as his team went on to win the competition on
home soil.
Leicester striker
Shinji Okazaki, who impressed for Japan and Mainz last season, also makes the
list after a strong continental championship.
It is a
similar story for Atsu, who started just one league game in his loan spell at
Everton last season, and is yet to play in the league for newly promoted
Bournemouth, but was player of the tournament at the Africa Cup of Nations.
Swansea
City's Andre Ayew is also on the list thanks to his performances at that
tournament, while Arsenal's David Ospina, who catastrophically dropped a corner
over his own goal-line on Tuesday against Olympiacos, is presumably included
for his excellent displays in the Copa America.
English
representation is limited to just two men, with Wayne Rooney joined by
Tottenham's Harry Kane, after his breakthrough season last year.
Manchester
City are the best represented English club, with three members of last year's
squad and two new arrivals, Kevin de Bruyne and Nicolas Otamendi.
However,
somewhat bafflingly one of those five is Wilfried Bony, who has struggled to
make any sort of impact since arriving from Swansea in January, but did help
Ivory Coast to win the Cup of Nations, alongside Yaya Toure, who is also
nominated.
Chelsea have
four players nominated, including Premier League player of the year Eden Hazard
and controversial striker Diego Costa.
THE 59-MAN
BALLON D'OR LONG-LIST
Claudio Bravo
- Barcelona
Javier
Mascherano - Barcelona
Andres
Iniesta - Barcelona
Lionel Messi
- Barcelona
Ivan Rakitic
- Barcelona
Neymar -
Barcelona
Luis Suarez -
Barcelona
Gareth Bale -
Real Madrid
Karim Benzema
- Real Madrid
Sergio Ramos
- Real Madrid
Cristiano
Ronaldo - Real Madrid
Luka Modric -
Real Madrid
James
Rodriguez - Real Madrid
Toni Kroos -
Real Madrid
Giorgio
Chiellini - Juventus
Paul Pogba -
Juventus
Alvaro Morata
- Juventus
Arturo Vidal
- Juventus/Bayern
Andrea Pirlo
- Juventus/NYCFC
Carlos Tevez
- Juventus/Boca
Robert
Lewandowski - Bayern
Arjen Robben
- Bayern
David Alaba -
Bayern
Thomas Muller
- Bayern
Manuel Neuer
- Bayern
Wilfried Bony
- Manchester City
Yaya Toure -
Manchester City
Sergio Aguero
- Manchester City
Nicolas
Otamendi - valencia/Manchester City
Kevin de
Bruyne - Wolfsburg/Manchester City
Diego Costa -
Chelsea
Willian -
Chelsea
Thibaut
Courtois - Chelsea
Eden Hazard -
Chelsea
Edinson Cavani
- PSG
Zlatan
Ibrahimovic - PSG
Javier
Pastore - PSG
Wayne Rooney
- Manchester United
David de Gea
- Manchester United
Memphis Depay
- PSV/Manchester United
David Ospina
- Arsenal
Alexis
Sanchez - Arsenal
Antoine
Griezmann - Atletico Madrid
Jackson Martinez
- Porto/Atletico Madrid
Carlos Bacca
- Sevilla/AC Milan
Giovani dos
Santos - Villarreal/LA Galaxy
Phillippe
Coutinho - Liverpool
Son Heung-Min
- Leverkusen/Tottenham
Christian
Atsu - Everton/Bournemouth
Paolo
Guerrero - Flamengo/Corinthians
Eduardo
Vargas - QPR/Hoffenheim
Gary Medel -
Inter
Harry Kane -
Tottenham
Alexandre
Lacazette - Lyon
Andres
Guardado - PSV
Carlos
Sanchez - River Plate
Andre Ayew -
Marseille/Swansea
Massimo
Luongo - Swindon/QPR
Shinji
Okazaki - Mainz/Leicester
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