Who would be the best football player of the year?

The shortlist of the final 23 candidates for the FIFA Ballon d’or.

No player that is currently playing in the French Ligue 1 made the final 23 list for the FIFA Ballon d’or. Two players, both from Bayern Munich are representing the German Bundesliga on the list, while the British Premier League and the Spanish Primera Division are represented by ten players each in the final 23-man shortlist for the FIFA Ballon d’or.

The award would most likely end up in the Spanish Primera Division, but let us pretend other leagues have a shot.

British Premier League

Jamie Vardy (England/Leicester City)

Alexis Sánchez (Chile/Arsenal)

Dimitri Payet (France/West Ham United)

Paul Pogba (France/Juventus/Manchester United)

Mesut Özil (Germany/Arsenal)

Jamie Vardy had an amazing and record making season with Leicester City in the 2015/16 Premier League season.

N’Golo Kanté (France/Leicester City/Chelsea)

Riyad Mahrez (Algeria/Leicester City)

Sergio Agüero (Argentina/Manchester City)

Zlatan Ibrahimović (Sweden/Paris Saint-Germain/Manchester United)

Kevin De Bruyne (Belgium/Manchester City)

Spanish Primera Division (La Liga)

Luis Suárez (Uruguay/FC Barcelona)

Toni Kroos (Germany/Real Madrid)

Lionel Messi (Argentina/FC Barcelona)

Sergio Ramos (Spain/Real Madrid)

Andrés Iniesta (Spain/FC Barcelona)

No one in Europe scored more goals than Luis Suarez in the 2015/16 season.

Antoine Griezmann (France/Atlético Madrid)

Neymar (Brazil/FC Barcelona)

Luka Modrić (Croatia/Real Madrid)

Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal/Real Madrid)

Gareth Bale (Wales/Real Madrid)

German Bundesliga

Robert Lewandowski (Poland/FC Bayern Munich)

Manuel Neuer (Germany/FC Bayern Munich)

Italian Serie A

Gianluigi Buffon (Italy/Juventus)

The awards would be presented on 9 January 2017.