Messi, Neymar, Modric on Ballon d'Or nominees list

Barcelona's Argentine star, Lionel Messi, Paris Saint-Germain's Brazilian forward Neymar and Real Madrid's Croatian midfielder Luka Modric have been nominated by France Football magazine for the prestigious Ballon d'Or award.

The provisional list, issued on Monday night, also included Atletico Madrid's Slovenian goalkeeper Jan Oblak, Manchester United's Paul Pogba of France, Real Madrid defender Marcelo, PSG's French forward Kylian Mbappe, Tottenham Hotspur's French keeper Hugo Lloris, Juventus' Croatian forward Mario Mandzukic and Liverpool's Senegalese forward Sadio Mane.

The French magazine has yet to reveal the last five candidates on the 30-nominee list for the award, reports Efe news.

So far, six Real Madrid players have been named including Spain's Isco Alarcon, Frenchman Karim Benzema, Wales' Gareth Bale, Belgian keeper Thibaut Courtois, Modric and Marcelo, as well as Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo, who left Santiago Bernabeu to join Serie A Juventus at the end of last season.

Tied at three nominated players apiece have been Atletico Madrid, with France's Antoine Griezmann, Uruguay's Diego Godin and Oblak, Liverpool, with Brazilians Roberto Firmino, Alisson Becker and Mane and PSG with Uruguay's Edinson Cavani, France's Kylian Mbappe and Neymar.

--IANS

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