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Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Neymar Headline UEFA Team of Year 2016 Nominees

Gianni Verschueren@ReverschPassFeatured ColumnistNovember 21, 2016

(From L) FC Barcelona and Brazils forward Neymar, FC Barcelona and Argentina's forward Lionel Messi and Real Madrid and Portugal's forward Cristiano Ronaldo pose after a press conference ahead of the 2015 FIFA Ballon d'Or award ceremony at the Kongresshaus in Zurich on January 11, 2016. AFP PHOTO / FABRICE COFFRINI / AFP / FABRICE COFFRINI        (Photo credit should read FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP/Getty Images)
FABRICE COFFRINI/Getty Images

UEFA revealed the nominees for its Team of the Year on Monday, featuring regular contenders like Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo and the Barcelona duo of Neymar and Lionel Messi. Stoke City's Joe Allen surprisingly also made the 40-man list ahead of Arsenal's Mesut Ozil. 

Per MailOnline's Alex Martin, Allen was one of 12 Premier League stars to feature, but while Arsenal's Aaron Ramsey, Laurent Koscielny and Alexis Sanchez all made the cut, Ozil didn't.

LONDON, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 06:  Mesut Ozil of Arsenal reacts during the Premier League match between Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur at Emirates Stadium on November 6, 2016 in London, England.  (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
Shaun Botterill/Getty Images

Real's Gareth Bale, Juventus' Gianluigi Buffon, the Manchester United duo of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Paul Pogba, and Manchester City's Sergio Aguero are all still in the running to make the final XI, too.

Here's a look at the full list of nominees:

UEFA Team of the Year Nominees
Goalkeepers
Keylor Navas, Real MadridRui Patricio, Sporting Lisbon
Gianluigi Buffon, JuventusJan Oblak, Atletico Madrid
Defenders
Gerard Pique, BarcelonaLaurent Koscielny, Arsenal
Joshua Kimmich, Bayern MunichDiego Godin, Atletico Madrid
Toby Alderweireld, TottenhamPepe, Real Madrid
Sergio Ramos, Real MadridJuanfra, Atletico Madrid
Raphael Guerreiro, Borussia DortmundDani Carvajal, Real Madrid
Leonardo Bonucci, JuventusJerome Boateng, Bayern Munich
Midfielders
Dimitri Payet, West HamLuka Modric, Real Madrid
Yannick Carrasco, Atletico MadridAaron Ramsey, Arsenal
Paul Pogba, Man UnitedToni Kroos, Real Madrid
Riyad Mahrez, LeicesterAndres Iniesta, Barcelona
Kevin De Bruyne, Man CityN’Golo Kante, Chelsea
Joe Allen, StokeGrzegorz Krychowiak, PSG
Forwards
Lionel Messi, BarcelonaPierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Borussia Dortmund
Luis Suarez, BarcelonaNeymar, Barcelona
Cristiano Ronaldo, Real MadridGareth Bale, Real Madrid
Robert Lewandowski, Bayern MunichAlexis Sanchez, Arsenal
Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Man UnitedSergio Aguero, Man City
Gonzalo Higuain, JuventusAntoine Griezmann, Atletico Madrid
MailOnline.com

Unsurprisingly, UEFA Champions League winners Real Madrid have the most nominees, with eight of the 40 players on the list playing for Los Blancos. Pepe, Keylor Navas, Sergio Ramos, Luka Modric, Toni Kroos and Dani Carvajal all made the cut.

Barcelona are represented by Messi, Neymar, Luis Suarez, Gerard Pique and Andres Iniesta. Atletico Madrid also have five inclusions in Antoine Griezmann, Jan Oblak, Diego Godin, Juanfran and Yannick Carrasco.

The Premier League is well represented, with Kevin De Bruyne, Riyad Mahrez, N'Golo Kante, Toby Alderweireld and Dimitri Payet joining Allen and the group of Arsenal and Manchester United stars. There was no room on the list for Liverpool's Philippe Coutinho or Juventus stars Paulo Dybala and Andrea Barzagli.