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Arsenal's Alexis Sanchez and Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero are the only Premier League representatives among the leading candidates for the Ballon d'Or crown.
Sanchez helped the Gunners retain the FA Cup trophy in May before leading the Chile national side to Copa America triumph with a shootout victory over Lionel Messi's Argentina in July's final.
The Gunners forward is joined by Aguero and Paul Pogba as one of the outsiders for the World Player of the Year gong. Aguero won the Premier League Golden Boot in May, staving off competition from Chelsea's Diego Costa and Tottenham's Harry Kane, while Pogba helped Juventus win domestic league and cup titles before the Seria A side fell short in the Champions League final.
Juve's conquerors in that Berlin showpiece, Barcelona, have three players among the leading contenders. Luis Suarez, Neymar and Messi have scored a combined 121 goals for Barca this term, while helping the club to a historic treble in May.
At this stage, only Robert Lewandowski of Bayern Munich and current Ballon d'Or holder Cristiano Ronaldo are considered genuine competition for the Barcelona trio ahead of January's awards gala.
But who's on course to scoop the prize in the New Year? Scroll through our gallery to find out.
