The Ballon d'Or is the most prestigious personal award in the world of soccer, and the hotly anticipated 23-man short list was revealed this week.

While there were few surprises, there were some notable snubs that certainly call into question the validity of the prize.

Here is a look at the major snubs:

Luis Suarez

This snub has FIFA written all over it. The organization was rather annoyed with Suarez for his bite on Giorgio Chiellini during the 2014 FIFA World Cup and punished him brutally for the action. It was arguably the defining moment of the tournament and undoubtedly went down poorly with the organization.

While Suarez's behavior is polarizing, his play is not. He is a great player capable of putting up big performances in big moments and he should have been on this list.

For some perspective, Suarez has played 23 club games in 2014 and scored 12 times. He was the main reason that Liverpool finished near the top of the Premier League standings. He finished the 2013-14 season with 32 goals, tying Cristiano Ronaldo for the most goals in Europe.

He also played in six international matches and scored four times. And when he was called on to help Uruguay past England, he delivered with not one, but two huge goals in the nation's 2-1 victory. He was also a catalyst in the team's win over Italy, when he bit Chiellini.

He might not have played as much as others and his fair play is certainly an issue, but Suarez is an MVP-caliber player that could dominate at will. He should be nominated.

Xabi Alonso

Andres Iniesta is on the shortlist. He is one of the best players in the world over the last decade and his greatest cannot be overlooked. But the Ballon d'Or is not a list of the best players historically. It is for the best players of 2014. And by all accounts, Iniesta has not had a great 2014.

One man who has had a terrific 2014, however, is Xabi Alonso. And he was left off the list. He was the main reason Real Madrid found balance in the midfield during the 2013-14 season and was a dominant presence during the Champions League knockout rounds.

Without him, the team struggled defensively. Just ask Madrid how it felt to play the Champions League final without the Spaniard. The team lacked cohesion and looked sloppy in the middle of the pitch.

He did not have a great World Cup. In fact, he had a horrid one by most standards. But three games a year do not make up the whole picture. And after the tournament, he returned to top form in his brief stint with Madrid. However, he has been a revelation for Bayern Munich since joining earlier this season.

He has connected on over 91 percent of the passes he has made for the team. The sample size is small, but it is the best passing success rate he has ever had in his career. Defensively, he has had about 1.5 tackles per game as well as 2.4 interceptions per match. He is doing the job at both ends of the pitch and looking terrific while doing it.

Luka Modric

Xabi Alonso gave Madrid's midfield balance, but Luka Modric made it work. He is the man who dominated opponents in 2013-14 with his depth passing and vision. Without him, Madrid would struggle to unlock opposing defenses and likely would not have the potency it had all year.

It is true that Modric has struggled to adapt to the new players in the early going of the 2014-15 season. However, he is being asked to play a new position and is still managing to help his team win big.

His World Cup was far from exemplary and this is likely the main reason he is not in contention. But, then again, neither did Cristiano Ronaldo and he is arguably the front-runner to win it all.

Other Snubs

Arturo Vidal was great for club and country in 2014 and deserved a shot. He was undoubtedly the best player for Juventus last season and he played well in the World Cup despite carrying an injury.  

Marco Reus has been terrific for Borussia Dortmund. He did not get a chance to star in the World Cup and it is probably the only reason he is not getting a chance.

Like Modric, Ivan Rakitic was not great in Brazil this summer. But he led Sevilla to the Europa League title. He has also excelled at Barcelona at the start of the 2014-15 season. 

Finally, Diego Godin needed to be on the list. Defenders are not generally given a shot (there was only one on the list, two if Javier Mascherano is counted), but Godin has been nothing but terrific. He has scored big goals for Atletico Madrid and is arguably the finest central defender in the world at the moment. His World Cup was also solid, something certain nominees cannot claim.

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