The Questionable Ballon D'or List

And it is no surprise to see that Cristiano Ronaldo is favourite for the prize after playing such a big part in Real Madrid's décima last season.

Teammate Gareth Bale is the only British player included, as well as archrival Lionel Messi, while five Premier League players find themselves on the (quite long) shortlist. They are Diego Costa, Eden Hazard, Thibaut Courtois, Angel Di Maria and Yaya Toure.

Meanwhile, three current Premier League managers find themselves nominated for the Fifa World Coach of the Year award.

But that doesn't stop us asking the important questions about some of the missing - or present - names:

1) Where is Luis Suarez?

Getty Luis Suarez (C) poses with the Goden Boot Trophy as the best goal scorer in all European Leagues

Best goalscorer in Europe's top five leagues... but not on the Ballon d'Or list 

He loves a bite, of that there can be no doubt, but despite his numerous and quite significant flaws, what can't be argued is that wee Luis had a pretty good season last year.

In fact, it was one of the best by any Premier League striker ever - scoring 31 goals in 33 Premier League appearances and generally vanquishing any team that stood in his path.

Yet Eden Hazard is on the list ahead of him? Curious.

Luis Suarez's Liverpool record

133

Games

82

Goals

2) Is a good world cup enough to get you on the list?

Julian Finney Javier Mascherano of Argentina tackles Arjen Robben of the Netherlands as he attempts a shot against goalkeeper Sergio Romero during the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Semi Final match between the Netherlands and Argentina at Arena de Sao Paulo on July 9, 2014 in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

The monster Masche: Javier Mascherano was great in Brazil, but is that enough? 

Javier Mascherano was probably one of the top three performers at this summer's World Cup in Brazil.

He dragged Argentina to the final, covering huge amounts of ground as he balanced out an attacking team built around Lionel Messi.

And all after a pretty mediocre season - by his standards - at Barcelona.

3) Why isn't Brendan's name in the envelope?

Brendan Rodgers may sometimes verge on the David Brent with his unusual delivery and confused footballing jargon.

But, like the above Luis, there does seem to be a bit of an oversight in excluding the Northern Irishman after he so overachieved with the Reds last year.

Action Images Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers before the match

Real Mad: Brendan looking peeved at last week's Champions League tie 

Granted, he didn't match the heights of Diego Simeone's overachievement at the Calderón, but he only fell - or slipped - a few points short of winning the most unlikely league title for around 20 years. Maybe even longer.

And all while playing attractive, attacking football.

No doubt he'll find a philosophical way to think about it.

4) ...and then why is Jose Mourinho on it?

So if Brendan Rodgers misses out on the list, then how come his mentor Jose Mourinho makes it?

Chelsea finished below Liverpool, spent more, and won no trophies - so it was hardly a season of vintage coaching excellence from the Blues boss.

So are they basing it on Mourinho's men being a few points clear at the top in October?

If so, they shouldn't.

(Nb. This is usually the point that everyone blames the meeeeja)

5) Can a goalkeeper ever win it?

No, probably not.

Manuel Neuer is great, but if he were to win in an era where we have two of the greatest attacking players to ever play the game then we should all have football confiscated from us.

6) Is Andres Iniesta a justified inclusion?

Friedemann Vogel - FIFA

The picture that tells the story of Iniesta's summer 

This feels a little bit like sacrilege, but it begs the question over how the shortlist is compiled.

Is Iniesta among the top 23 most talented players in the world? Of course. But so is Luis Suarez, easily, and he didn't make it.

Did Iniesta have anything even approaching a good year last year? I'm not so sure.

Three goals and seven assists in 35 La Liga games is not a great haul. Teammate Cesc Fabregas got more.

Hey, even Carlos Vela got 16 goals and 12 assists in a far worse side and he wasn't tainted by one of the most disastrous World Cup campaigns ever seen.

7) ...which leads us on to Koke

As in last night's ludicrous La Liga awards, Atletico Madrid were criminally overlooked.

Of course, you could argue that their success was down to team ethic, hustle and fight , and thus their individuals didn't shine as much.

But that would be overlooking the contribution of players like Koke to their astonishing achievements last season. Atleti, let's remember, smashed the duopoly that looked set to keep a chokehold on La Liga for years and years to come. And they did it on a fraction of the budget.

Ice cold: Koke was inexplicably omitted from the shortlist 

Oh, and they were a matter of minutes from pairing that with a Champions League trophy.

Koke was at the centre of that, and even put up better stats than the aforementioned Iniesta - so his absence remains a sad mystery.

8) Klinsmann?

Klinsmann bows out of the World Cup at the last 16 stage - then gets nominated for coach of the year 

Right, there is no doubt that the USA were great fun at the World Cup and involved in some ripsnorting games.

But the German took a consistently top 20-ranked side to the last 16 of a tournament and got nominated as one of the best 10 coaches in the world?!

Surely Costa Rica's Jorge Luis Pinto - who emerged from a tougher group than the Americans before narrowly losing on penalties to the Dutch - should be considered after getting a round further than Klinsmann?