First batch of 2016 Ballon D'or nominees revealed
Ten players have been revealed of the thirty that will vie for the 2016 FIFA Ballon d'Or award – Barcelona trio of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar are yet to be named – Lionel Messi is the reigning Ballon d'Or winner having won it for a fifth time in 2015 France Football Association has announced the first ten names in contention for the 2016 Ballon D' or.
Lionel Messi is the reigning Ballon D'or holder.
Welsh winger Gareth Bale, Sergio Aguero, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Gianluigi Buffon and Real Madrid teammate Cristiano Ronaldo were included in the first batch of nominees announced. Antoine Griezmann, Kevin De Bruyne, Paulo Dybala, Gonzalo Higuain and Diego Godin were included in the second list.
Antoine Griezmann The rest of the list will be announced as the day progresses. This year's Ballon d'Or is judged solely by a panel of journalists after FIFA and France Football decided to part ways.
They had originally joined forces to combine the previous Fifa World Player of the Year prize with the French publication's prestigious individual prize in 2010.
The nominees as at 9.45 am (Nigerian time, October 24)
Sergio Aguero
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
Gareth Bale
Gianluigi Buffon
Cristiano Ronaldo
Kevin de Bruyne
Paulo Dybala
Diego Godin
Antoine Griezmann
Gonzalo Higuain