Still no Neymar. Buffon, Messi and Ronaldo make up final three Player of the Year nominees

August 16 – Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus), Lionel Messi (Barcelona), and Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid) are the final three nominees for the 2016/17 UEFA Men’s Player of the Year Awards.

The shortlist was selected by a jury of 80 coaches of the clubs which participated in the group stage of the 2016/17 UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League, together with 55 journalists from each of UEFA’s member associations. The final result was based on the total number of votes cast by the coaches and the journalists. The coaches were not allowed to vote for players from their own team.

The top 10 list was perhaps most notable for its absentees – neither the world’s most expensive player Neymar or Barcelona’s prolific goalscorer Luis Suarez made the top 10. Indeed, even PSG’s free transfer Zlatan Ibrahimovic squeezed into the Top 10 before their €222 million acquisition.

The players who make up the rest of the top ten are:
4: Luka Modrić (Croatia, Real Madrid)
5: Toni Kroos (Germany, Real Madrid)
6: Paulo Dybala (Argentina, Juventus)
7: Sergio Ramos (Spain, Real Madrid)
8: Kylian Mbappé (France, Monaco)
9: Robert Lewandowski (Poland, Bayern München)
10: Zlatan Ibrahimović (Sweden, Manchester United)

UEFA has also announced the shortlist for the 2016/17 UEFA Men’s Player of the Year Awards, comprised of Pernille Harder (DEN – VfL Wolfsburg and Linköpings FC), Dzsenifer Marozsán (GER – Olympique Lyonnais), Lieke Martens (NED – FC Rosengård, now at FC Barcelona).

For the women’s award, the shortlist was selected by a jury of 16 coaches of the teams which participated in the Women’s EURO 2017, together with eight coaches of the clubs which participated in the quarter-finals of the 2016/17 UEFA Women’s Champions League, plus 20 journalists specialised in women’s football.

The players who make up the rest of the top ten are:
4: Vivianne Miedema (Netherlands, Bayern München and Arsenal)
5: Eugénie Le Sommer (France, Lyon)
6: Wendie Renard (France, Lyon)
7: Jackie Groenen (Netherlands, FFC Frankfurt)
8: Lucy Bronze (England, Manchester City)
9: Jodie Taylor (England, Arsenal)
10: Shanice van de Sanden (Netherlands, Liverpool)

The final awards will be presented at the 2017/18 UEFA Champions League group stage draw ceremony, which will take place on Thursday 24 August in Monaco. Perhaps UEFA could Neymar to present them.

Contact the writer of this story at moc.l1711674292labto1711674292ofdlr1711674292owedi1711674292sni@n1711674292osloh1711674292cin.l1711674292uap1711674292