The nomination for the Ballon d’Or is once again in doubt. Who definitely should not have been there and yet is missing?

Practically every year the nominations for the Ballon d’Or are in doubt and this year is no different. The wider nomination is missing several footballers who are in great form. Who should definitely not be missing?

Again this year, there will be debates about who is or is not in the Ballon d’Or nomination and why. The list of thirty nominees was rather surprising with Simon Kjaer’s name, Raheem Sterling’s less than ideal year and the list could perhaps go on.

It’s not too hard then to find at least three players whose absence seems almost meaningless in the thirty selections. Who are they?

Thomas Müller (Bayern Munich, Germany)

The Bayern legend is having a great year. Müller has scored 11 goals and added 21 assists this year. He won the Bundesliga, the Club World Cup and the German Super Cup.

No player in the Ballon d’Or nomination has more assists for club and national team than the German international, who also featured at the Euros.

In short, it can be said that Müller is the court passer of Robert Lewandowski, who cannot praise their cooperation.

Federico Chiesa (Juventus, Italy)

Still only 23 years old, the Italian has his whole career ahead of him, but he definitely shouldn’t have been missing from the Ballon d’Or nomination. He has amassed 17 goals and 7 assists this year.

Chiesa was one of the important players in Italy’s Euro victory, winning the Coppa Italia and Supercoppa with Juventus.

Juventus may not have had a good season at all, but it was the Italian speedster’s performances that were one of the most positive things about the whole season. He handles big games superbly, he can take responsibility and he’s not afraid to make things up.

We have a lot to look forward to in the future from this rising star!

Jak Oblak (Atlético Madrid, Slovenia)

It’s customary that goalkeepers are not appreciated commodities even in these individual polls. But to leave out one of the best goalkeepers of our time? That seems rather presumptuous.

Jan Oblak has kept 14 clean sheets this year, helping Atlético Madrid win the title. He certainly shouldn’t have missed out on the nomination.

While Luis Suárez’s contribution was widely talked about after Atlético won the title, the Slovenian goalkeeper was the one who made the biggest difference, and he was named the best player in La Liga.

Certainly, Oblak didn’t get to play with Slovenia at the Euros. However, a player of his calibre should not fall into oblivion.

Other interesting names

There could be two more names in the game that deserve a mention. One player whose absence is quite hard to understand is Achraf Hakimi, who had a dream season in the Inter Milan jersey.

The versatile and offensive-minded full-back scored 8 goals, added 7 assists and helped his teammates keep 21 clean sheets this year. On top of that, he won the Serie A, immediately slotting into the PSG lineup. Basically, it can be said that he is the best edge midfielder in world football.

The other player is Jadon Sancho. Some may shake their heads because he hasn’t shown much in a Manchester United jersey, but he shone in Dortmund and has 12 goals and 12 assists this year, plus he helped Borussia win the cup.

The English winger is statistically only one assist worse than the star Kevin De Bruyne, who is not missing from the nomination. In addition, Sancho’s quality has helped Erling Haaland’s great statistics. He may not really deserve a place in the nomination, but he deserves a mention.

Sources: Transfermarkt, Goal, France Football