Ballon d'Or: Ronaldo a shoo-in as Suarez and Ribery left out

Spain and Germany dominate shortlist with no English or Italian players and Ronaldo odds-on to win

Cristiano Ronaldo
(Image credit: Paul Gilham/Getty Images)

The shortlist for the Fifa Ballon d'Or award has been released, and once again there are no English players among the 23 stars vying for the title of the world's greatest footballer.

The lack of English players may not come as a surprise, but equally worrying is the lack of British-based players. Only five of the 23 ply their trade in the Premier League, and only two of them were playing in England last season.

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