• Ballon d'Or

Five Premier League players make Ballon d'Or list

Eden Hazard is one of three Chelsea players included on the Ballon d'Or shortlist © Getty Images

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Premier League stars Thibaut Courtois, Eden Hazad, Diego Costa, Yaya Toure and Angel Di Maria are among the contenders to win the FIFA Ballon d'Or, along with Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, but not one Englishman made the 23-man list of nominees for their 2014 performances - and neither did Luis Suarez.

Courtois and Costa did not play at Chelsea last season but were crucial to Atletico Madrid's La Liga title win and run to the Champions League final. Costa scored 35 times for Atletico and has continued that form since his £32 million-move to Chelsea, netting nine goals in as many games for Jose Mourinho's side since his arrival.

Eden Hazard, however, did feature at Stamford Bridge last season. He was instrumental in Chelsea's title challenge under returning manager Jose Mourinho and has continued his good form this term.

Eventual champions Manchester City have Yaya Toure representing them on the shortlist. The midfielder was in superb form for much of the last campaign, weighing in with 24 goals in all competitions, including one in the club's League Cup final triumph at Wembley, but has come in for criticism for his on and off-field form since.

Di Maria was one of Real Madrid's shining lights last year, scoring in the Copa del Rey final against Barcelona and also helped the club win a 10th European Cup. He joined United for a British record transfer fee last summer and has already impressed on the Premier League stage with three goals.

Messi and Ronaldo have dominated the winners' list since 2008; Messi won the award four straight years from 2009-2012, while Ronaldo won it in 2008 and 2013. Barca star Messi scored 56 goals in all competitions last season and both players have enjoyed impressive starts to this season.

Ronaldo scored 31 league goals in 30 games and finished as La Liga's top scorer; he shared the European Golden Shoe award with Suarez - who was omitted from the list - and broke numerous records, including the one for most goals scored in a single Champions League campaign.

Suarez missed out despite the recognition for his goalscoring and being named the Premier League's Player of the Year last season while at Liverpool. However, his stock is relatively low now having only just returned to competitive action for new club Barcelona after being banned for four months for biting Italy's Giorgio Chiellini at the World Cup.

Not a single English candidate has been nominated - indicative of the state of the state of the game for the country ranked 20th in world football - although Great Britain has one player on the initial list in Gareth Bale.

World champions Germany are the most represented with six entries. All of the candidates play their club football in Europe, for only eight different clubs, with Real Madrid and Bayern Munich tied for the most with six each, followed by Barcelona with four.

The initial list of nominations is compiled by the FIFA Football Committee with the help of French magazine France Football. It will be trimmed to a shortlist of three on December 1, with the winner announced at a ceremony in Zurich on January 12 next year.

Ballon d'Or contenders:

Gareth Bale, Wales, Real Madrid
Karim Benzema, France, Real Madrid
Diego Costa, Spain, Chelsea
Thibaut Courtois, Belgium, Chelsea
Angel Di Maria, Argentina, Manchester United
Mario Gotze, Germany, Bayern Munich
Eden Hazard, Belgium, Chelsea
Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Sweden, Paris Saint-Germain
Andres Iniesta, Spain, Barcelona
Toni Kroos, Germany, Real Madrid
Philipp Lahm, Germany, Bayern Munich
Javier Mascherano, Argentina, Barcelona
Lionel Messi, Argentina, Barcelona
Thomas Muller, Germany, Bayern Munich
Manuel Neuer, Germany, Bayern Munich
Neymar, Brazil, Barcelona
Paul Pogba, France, Juventus
Sergio Ramos, Spain, Real Madrid
Arjen Robben, Netherlands, Bayern Munich
James Rodriguez, Colombia, Real Madrid
Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal, Real Madrid
Bastian Schweinsteiger, Germany, Bayern Munich
Yaya Toure, Ivory Coast, Manchester City

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