Neymar slams Ballon d'Or for leaving out 'top five' player who wasn't included on shortlist

Neymar has made his feelings very clear regarding the shock omission of a 'top five' player from the Ballon d'Or shortlist.

The Ballon d'Or nominees were confirmed on Wednesday as 30 players were shortlisted for the prestigious individual award, which is currently in the hands of Lionel Messi.

But neither Messi, who has won the Ballon d'Or an incredible eight times, or Cristiano Ronaldo, who has five of them to his name, were named among the nominees for the first time since 2003.

Messi and Ronaldo weren't the only big names to be left out as Premier League stars Mohamed Salah, Kevin De Bruyne and Virgil van Dijk also failed to make the shortlist.

Not to mention Real Madrid star Rodrygo, who posted on social media in wake of his Ballon d'Or snub.

Last season, the Brazilian made 51 appearances across all competitions, scoring 17 goals as he helped his side to La Liga and Champions League glory.

Rodrygo's omission surprised Neymar, who threw his support behind his fellow countryman.

He reckons the 23-year-old is among the top five best players in the world, saying: "Minimum top 5 in the world. Craque."

Rodrygo in action for Real Madrid. Image: Getty

The forward joined Los Blancos in 2019, having reached an agreement the year before.

He's played 221 games for the club, scoring 55 goals.

He's won three La Liga titles and two Champions Leagues during his prolific spell at the club.

Several of Rodrygo's club teammates, however, made the Ballon d'Or shortlist.

Jude Bellingham, Dani Carvajal, Toni Kroos, Antonio Rudiger, Kylian Mbappe, Federico Valverde and Vinicius Jr are among the candidates for the 2024 Ballon d'Or, which will be announced on October 24.