Paris Saint-Germain forward Neymar is among the first batch of names to have been nominated for the 2017 Ballon d'Or award.
The world's most expensive player, who swapped Barcelona for PSG in the summer for a sum of £198m, has been tipped to end the Cristiano Ronaldo-Lionel Messi stranglehold.
Real Madrid's Ronaldo is expected to be among the nominees, aiming to be crowned the world's best player for a fifth time, having edged out Barcelona maestro Messi last year.
Organisers France Football revealed the first five players on the shortlist on Monday morning, with Madrid duo Luka Modric and Marcelo included, while Paulo Dybala of Juventus is also in the running.
PFA Player of the Year N'Golo Kante, who played a pivotal part in Chelsea's title success last term, is the only Premier League player to be given the nod so far.
Ballon d'Or 2017 nominees: Neymar (Paris Saint-Germain), Luka Modric (Real Madrid), Paulo Dybala (Juventus), Marcelo (Real Madrid), N'Golo Kante (Chelsea)
Daniel Lewis
