5 players who deserved to be on the 30 man Ballon d'Or shortlist

The much awaited 30 man Ballon d'Or nominee list is finally out and although the usual suspects like Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Antoine Griezmann and Luis Suarez make the list, there are some players who had very good individual campaigns but failed to make the cut.

Some of these players might not be the most glamorous players in the world, but their contributions to the team’s success was vital nevertheless. We take a look at 5 players who deserved to be on the 30 man shortlist.

#5 Jan Oblak (Atletico Madrid)

Chosen as the best goalkeeper in La Liga ahead of Keylor Navas, Jan Oblak was truly the standout young goalkeeper in the La Liga last season. Though Navas had a fantastic season in front of the goal for Real Madrid, Oblak was better than the Costa Rican international in all aspects.

Backed up by the Rojiblancos defensive unit, Oblak conceded only 18 goals the entire season and his saves were extremely crucial in Atletico Madrid’s strong performances in the League last season.

In the 38 matches he played last season, the Slovenian goalkeeper kept an incredible 24 clean sheets and saved an average of 3.5 shots for every goal scored. Oblak also played an integral role in Atletico’s run to the Champions League final and his efforts definitely merited an inclusion in the 30 man Ballon d'Or nomination list.

#4 N’golo Kante (Leicester City/Chelsea)

Leicester City captured everyone’s imagination with their fairytale Premier League triumph in the 2015/16 season. While Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez ran away with all the plaudits and secured Ballon d’Or nominations, arguably their most important player, N’golo Kante missed out.

The French midfielder arrived from Caen for £5.6m last season and was easily the best signing of last season. Kante’s positional sense, tactical reading and awareness for the game were in full display as he headed the list for most interceptions in the league, having made an incredible 156 interceptions in the League last season.

Kante’s ability to break down play and get things ticking in the midfield was absolutely vital for Leicester City last season and he has already played a vital role in Chelsea’s decent start this season, being the midfield enforcer in Antonio Conte’s Chelsea side.

In a recent interview with Italian newspaper Corriere dello Sera, former manager Ranieri praised Kante’s energy, awareness and reading of the game.“It will not surprise me the day he crosses the ball from the flank and gets into the penalty area to head it,” the Italian said.

“He is someone who knows where the ball will go, knows where the opposition will move, knows everything first.”

The man who made the most impossible Premier League triumph a reality definitely deserves his place on the list.

#3 Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus)

A ball playing centre-back who is usually deployed in the centre of a three-man defence, Leonardo Bonucci is currently one of the best centre-backs in the world. The Italian followed a stellar domestic campaign with some amazing performances in Euro 2016 where he even made it to the team of the tournament.

One of the first names on the team-sheet for Juventus, Bonucci has played an integral part in Juventus’ incredible 5 consecutive Serie A triumphs. Pep Guardiola even called Bonucci one of his ‘all-time favourite’ players due to his ability to play gorgeous balls from out of the defence and set his team on the front foot with his increible passing range.

In 2016, his defensive attributes, as well as his skill on the ball, vision, and accurate passing, moved La Repubblica to dub him as “Beckenbonucci”, a reference to former German sweeper Franz Beckenbauer.

The Italian defender was extremely consistent last season and he definitely deserves to be on the 30 man shortlist.

#2 Ivan Rakitic (Barcelona)

Barcelona already have 4 players in the Ballon d’Or nominees, but a name who definitely deserves to be on the list is Croatian midfielder Ivan Rakitic. An integral part of the superb double winning Barcelona side, Rakitic is capable of providing a defence-splitting pass as well as helping out defensively, taking the pressure off his midfield colleagues.

Undoubtedly one of the best midfielders in the world, Rakitic is one of the first names on the team sheet for Barcelona. Not the most glamorous player on the pitch, the Croatian is the vital link between defence and attack for the superb Barcelona side.

While the Barcelona team is filled with star names, no player has had more appearances for Barcelona in the last two seasons than Rakitic underlining his importance to Luis Enrique’s side. Blessed with an eye for goal, the Croatian is one of the most complete midfielders in the game.

A worthy successor to Xavi, Rakitic (28) will be looking to continue his good form and play a key role for Barcelona this season.

#1 Mesut Ozil (Arsenal)

The Arsenal maestro was nothing short of brilliant last season, notching up assist after assist as Arsenal finished second in the Premier League. The German playmaker had 19 assists last season, falling one short of Thierry Henry’s all-time record of 20 assists in the Premier League.

Ozil also confirmed his status as the most creative player in Europe by creating a staggering 181 chances over the course of the season in all competitions, a record for any player.

Named as the Arsenal player of the season and nominated for the PFA player of the year award, it was a surprise to see Ozil not included on the 30 man shortlist for the Ballon d”or award.

Arsenal are currently doing everything in their power to tie down their primary creative force with a long-term-contract with Arsene Wenger even willing to break the bank for the German.

More football news, analysis and features at Sportskeeda.com