Italy and Juventus keeper
Gianluigi Buffon was the only Italian to make FIFA's 23-man
shortlist for its best player of 2016 award on Friday.
The 38-year-old helped Juventus win a fifth consecutive
Serie A title and a second consecutive Italian Cup last season.
He is also the only player from an Italian club on the
list.
The award is be determined via a combined voting process,
with 50% of the decision based on the votes of captains and head
coaches from national teams around the world and the other 50%
split between an online ballot of fans and submissions from a
selected group of media representatives.
The winner will receive the award at a ceremony in Zurich
on January 9.
Here is the full list: Sergio Agüero
(Argentina/Manchester City), Gareth Bale (Wales/Real Madrid),
Gianluigi Buffon (Italy/Juventus), Cristiano Ronaldo
(Portugal/Real Madrid), Kevin De Bruyne (Belgium/Manchester
City), Antoine Griezmann (France/Atlético Madrid), Zlatan
Ibrahimović (Sweden/Paris Saint-Germain/Manchester United),
Andrés Iniesta (Spain/FC Barcelona), N'Golo Kanté
(France/Leicester City/Chelsea), Toni Kroos (Germany/Real
Madrid), Robert Lewandowski (Poland/FC Bayern Munich), Riyad
Mahrez (Algeria/Leicester City), Lionel Messi (Argentina/FC
Barcelona), Luka Modrić (Croatia/Real Madrid), Manuel Neuer
(Germany/FC Bayern Munich), Neymar (Brazil/FC Barcelona), Mesut
Özil (Germany/Arsenal), Dimitri Payet (France/West Ham United),
Paul Pogba (France/Juventus/Manchester United), Sergio Ramos
(Spain/Real Madrid), Alexis Sánchez (Chile/Arsenal), Luis Suárez
(Uruguay/FC Barcelona), Jamie Vardy (England/Leicester City).
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © Copyright ANSA
