UEFA have revealed their three-man shortlist for the 2017/18 season, and surprisingly Lionel Messi doesn't feature.
The Barca star missed out on a place, while Real Madrid rival Luka Modric, Juventus star Cristiano Ronaldo and Liverpool goal-grabber Mohamed Salah all made the cut.
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Messi and his side won the league at a canter, but it appears that a lacklustre World Cup and Champions League campaign sees the attacker drop off the list.
Modric, who has been linked with a move to Inter Milan this summer, helped Croatia earn their best ever World Cup finish: they came second in the tournament, losing out to France in the final. The veteran midfielder also helped Real Madrid win their third consecutive Champions League title, an unprecedented record.
Helping with that achievement, too, of course, is Ronaldo. He was the standout performer for Real last season, but decided to make the move to Serie A this summer.
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Salah shook the world last season. He scored 44 goals in all competitions for the Reds, as they made it to the Champions League final in Kiev.
The names were decided by an 80-man panel, made up of coaches and managers whose retrospective clubs played in the Champions League. The list included 55 football journalists.
The panel made their decision by giving five points to their first pick, three to their second, while their third and final pick gets only one point.
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The winner will be announced on 30th August, ahead of the Champions League opening games.
Who do you think will win the award? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section.
Featured Image Credit:Topics: Football News, Football, UEFA
