NYON, Switzerland (AP) — Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo highlight a list of 32 candidates for this season’s Best Player in Europe award.
One unheralded player who made the cut is Leslie Davies. The midfielder for Bangor City in the Welsh Premier League has been nominated by a panel of journalists drawn from the 53 countries in European soccer’s ruling body.
Each voter submitted five names to create the 32-man slate, which will be reduced to a three players next month. The winner will be decided when the same voting panel is polled in Monaco on Aug. 30 when the Champions League groups are drawn.
Messi, who stars for Barcelona, won the inaugural award last year.
