Ballon d’Or: Sadio Mane included in 30 nominees

Liverpool forward Sadio Mane

Tuesday Oct 10, 2017. 11:00

The 30-man shortlist for the 2017 Ballon d’Or includes the name of Liverpool and Senegal attacker Sadio Mane.

The Teranga Lions player is one of two Africans on the list, the other being Borussia Dortmund and Gabon striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

Mane enjoyed a great debut season for Liverpool in 2016/17 and has been even more impressive thus far in the 2017/18 season, forming a deadly attacking triumvirate with Egyptian Mohamed Salah and Brazilian Roberto Firmino.

He has also helped Senegal reach a position of strength in their 2018 World Cup qualifying group.

The award, formerly known as the World Player of the Year, has been passed between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in the past 10 years and is likely to be handed one of the two again in 2017.

Ballon d’Or Nominees, 2017:

Neymar Jr. (PSG), Luka Modric (Real Madrid), Paulo Dybala (Juventus), Marcelo (Real Madrid), N’Golo Kante (Chelsea), Philippe Coutinho (Liverpool), Luis Suarez (Barcelona), Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid), Jan Oblak (Atletico Madrid), Dries Mertens (Napoli), Kevin de Bruyne (Man City), Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich), David de Gea (Man United), Harry Kane (Tottenham), Edin Dzeko (AS Roma), Sadio Mane (Liverpool), Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid), Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus), Radamel Falcao (Monaco), Toni Kroos (Real Madrid), Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Borussia Dortmund), Edinson Cavani (PSG), Mats Hummels (Borussia Dortmund), Karim Benzema (Real Madrid), Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid), Eden Hazard (Chelsea), Leonardo Bonucci (AC Milan), Isco (Real Madrid), Kylian Mbappe (PSG)