Ballon d'Or organisers France Football have explained why Eden Hazard, Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez did not merit nominations for the coveted award.
France Football has blamed Eden Hazard's 'insipid' form for much of 2016 for his omission from the Ballon d'Or shortlist, while highlighting a dip in form for the notable absence of Arsenal duo Ozil and Sanchez.
The prestigious award for the best player in the world is back under the sole control of France Football following a split with FIFA and the publication identified a group of players it classed as being close to its 30-man shortlist.