Aguero, Balotelli, Rooney & Van Persie among Premier League Ballon d'Or nominees

The stars of the English top flight are joined by the likes of Radamel Falcao, Cristiano Ronaldo & three-time winner Lionel Messi on the shortlist of the world's best players

Five stars currently plying their trade in the Premier League have been nominated for Fifa's prestigious Ballon d'Or award.

The award is presented to the player who has been voted as the world's best by managers and captains of international teams, as well as a number of journalists.

Premier League champions Manchester City provide three players, with Sergio Aguero, Yaya Toure and Mario Balotelli all making the list after a host of impressive displays last season.

They are joined by two players from the other side of the city, with Manchester United duo Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie also selected.

Van Persie finished as the league's top goalscorer last season, netting a staggering 30 goals at Arsenal, whilst Rooney came in second place with 27.

Former Chelsea striker Didier Drogba has also been shortlisted after scoring the winning penalty in the Champions League final before leaving the club.

They will battle it out with a number of the usual suspects, including three-time winner Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and in-form Chelsea target Radamel Falcao.

BALLON D'OR NOMINEES
Sergio AgueroManchester City
Mario BalotelliManchester City
Karim BenzemaReal Madrid
Gianluigi BuffonJuventus
Sergio BusquetsBarcelona
Iker CasillasReal Madrid
Didier DrogbaShanghai Shenhua
Radamel FalcaoAtletico Madrid
Zlatan IbrahimovicPSG
Andres IniestaBarcelona
Lionel Messi Barcelona
Manuel Neuer Bayern Munich
NeymarSantos
Mesut Ozil Real Madrid
Gerard Pique Barcelona
Andrea Pirlo Juventus
Sergio Ramos Real Madrid
Cristiano Ronaldo Real Madrid
Wayne Rooney Manchester United
Yaya Toure Manchester City
Robin van Persie Manchester United
Xabi Alonso Real Madrid
Xavi Hernandez Barcelona


Chimdindu Nweke