Gareth Bale also selected in FIFA short-list.
Check in to Arsenal vs Chelsea
Five Premier League players have made FIFA’s 23 man short-list for the prestigious Ballon d’Or World Footballer of the Year award.
Arsenal’s Mesut Ozil, Chelsea’s Eden Hazard, Man United striker Robin Van Persie, Man City midfielder Yaya Toure and Liverpool ace Luis Suarez all made it into the nominee list for the prize which Lionel Messi has of course captured in each of the four previous years.
Indeed Messi will no doubt be favourite to collect a fifth gong though will perhaps be ran hard for the title by the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo or perhaps PSG forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Outsiders for recognition could include Bayern Munich winger Franck Ribery, who of course helped his Bavarian side to a treble of Bundesliga, DFB Pokal and Champions League titles.
Gareth Bale, who has had a stuttering start to his Real Madrid career, has also been nominated though no English born player has made it onto the list.
Fifa world men’s player of the year shortlist:
Gareth Bale (Real Madrid), Edinson Cavani (Paris St-Germain), Radamel Falcao (Monaco), Eden Hazard (Chelsea), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Paris St-Germain), Andres Iniesta (Barcelona), Philipp Lahm (Bayern Munich), Robert Lewandowski (Borussia Dortmund), Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Thomas Muller (Bayern Munich), Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich), Neymar (Barcelona), Mesut Ozil (Arsenal), Andrea Pirlo (Juventus), Franck Ribery (Bayern Munich), Arjen Robben (Bayern Munich), Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid), Bastian Schweinsteiger (Bayern Munich), Luis Suarez (Liverpool), Thiago Silva (Paris St-Germain), Yaya Toure (Manchester City), Robin Van Persie (Manchester United), Xavi (Barcelona).