The announcement of the thirty man shortlist for the 2016 Ballon D’or began on Monday morning and will run throughout the day as the names of the shortlisted players are released in batches.
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From the first batch, some of the players in the shortlist are Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo who is seen as favorite this year as well as his teammate Gareth Bale.
The African footballer of the year and Dortmund striker, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang also shortlisted alongside Manchester City striker, Sergio Aguero, Kevin De Bruyne and Juventus goalkeeper, Gianluigi Buffon.
The 2015 Ballon d’Or was won by Lionel Messi for a record fifth time but this year, FIFA has ended its association with the award.
