Ballon d'Or 2017: 5 players who deserve to be nominated but weren't

The 30-man shortlist of players nominated for the 2017 Ballon d'Or has been released, and it has not gone down well with pundits and fans, alike

Most of the players on the list, with the likes of Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Leonardo Bonucci and Sergio Ramos were brilliant over the last season for club and country, and deserve the plaudits.

However, there are some names that deserved to be shortlisted, but were not. Here's a quick look at the top 5 players who were expected to make the cut, but didn't:

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#5 Miralem Pjanic (Juventus, Bosnia and Herzegovina)

FC Barcelona v Juventus - UEFA Champions League

Juventus had a brilliant 2016/17 as they won the Serie A title and finished runners-up to Real Madrid in the finals of Champions League. They lost Pirlo to retirement and Paul Pogba to Manchester United last season, and it gave the perfect chance for Pjanic to step up and say he is the man to marshal the midfield.

Pjanic was phenomenal last year and was consistent throughout the season. He scored 5 and assisted 9 more in Serie A. In the UEFA Champions League, he scored once and assisted 3 more.

It's not the whole picture. He had an impressive number of key passes per game (2) and impressive tackles per game (1.3 and 2 in Serie A and UCL respectively. He controlled the midfield and added a lot to Juventus' defensive and offensive play. He should consider himself unlucky not to make that list.

#4 Diego Godin (Atletico Madrid, Uruguay)

Leganes v Atletico Madrid - La Liga

Atletico Madrid had a good season, if not great, considering their standard. They lost the Champions League semifinals to Real Madrid and finished 3rd in La Liga behind Real And Barca.

Diego Godin had a stand out 2016/17 season. In La Liga, Atletico allowed the opponents to score only 27 times and Oblak had to make only 67 saves, thanks to Godin.

He is tall, strong, good in the air and has an excellent positioning skill. Godin is the man behind Simeone's solid defensive displays. He had a great Champions League and was rewarded with a place in "UCL squad of the season" for 16/17.

He is the captain of Uruguay's national team and led them to qualification for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. Uruguay finished second, only to Brazil in the qualifying round, and Godin deserves the credit for their strong run. He is too good a player to miss out on a nomination for the Ballon d'Or.

#3 Thomas Lemar (Monaco, France)

AS Monaco v Juventus - UEFA Champions League Semi Final: First Leg

It was a hugely successful season for Monaco as they beat Paris Saint-Germain to the Ligue 1 title, and lost to Juventus in the Champions League semifinal.

Thomas Lemar was at the heart of Monaco's midfield/wing play throughout the season. He can play anywhere in the midfield (central, left or right).

Arsenal bid a whopping £92 million for him during the summer, but the deal fell through. In 2016/17, Lemar scored 11 times and assisted 14 more from midfield. Still only 21, he is pacy and a good dribbler.

He was called to the French team for the FIFA World Cup qualifiers, where he scored 2 times and assisted couple more. Given his performances and impact, Lemar's omission from the list came as a surprise to many.

#2 Cesar Azpilicueta (Chelsea, Spain)

Chelsea v Manchester City - Premier League

After a disappointing 2015/16 season, Conte's Chelsea romped to the Premier League title in 2016/17. Eden Hazard and Diego Costa did most of the scoring, but the hard work was done at the back.

Cesar Azpilicueta has played every minute of every single Premier League game this season. Sitting on the right side of defence in a 3-4-3 formation, Azpilicueta produced a solid 16/17 season.

He is a ball playing defender and can convert defence into attack in a split second and has a pass accuracy of 88%. He has successfully completed 2000 passes this season and is the only defender in the top 10 of the 'most passes competed' listt.

Chelsea did not play in the Champions League last season, and it may have been the reason for his omission. But, the Spaniard has all the right to be disappointed.

#1 Dele Alli (Tottenham Hotspur, England)

Lithuania v England - FIFA 2018 World Cup Qualifier

Tottenham finished second only to Chelsea in the league. Even though Harry Kane stole the limelight, Dele Alli produced some stunning displays for Spurs and England. He played a key role in England's World Cup qualification as they finished on top of their qualifying group.

Alli scored 18 times and assisted 7 more in a stunning season for Tottenham. The 21-year-old is considered by many as one of the finest young midfielders in Europe. Playing in an advanced midfield role, Alli creates and scores a lot of goals. He has exceptional ball control, and can dribble with pace, making him an exciting talent to watch.

If Sadio Mane and Philippe Coutinho can make that list, Alli has all the right to say that he's unlucky to miss out.