Real Madrid dominate Champions League awards shortlist

UEFA officially announced the UEFA Champions League awards shortlist earlier today. The shortlist is a flurry of Real Madrid players — a surprise to nobody — by dominating the awards list just as they dominated the competition.

Every category has a Madrid player in it, with the exception of the goalkeeper position. Keylor Navas didn’t earn a spot with his category being filled with the usual names of Juventus captain Gianluigi Buffon, and Bayern Munich's Manuel Neuer. The third position belonged to Atletico Madrid's Jan Oblak.

The defenders list was composed of Leonardo Bonucci, Real’s captain Sergio Ramos, and left-back Marcelo.

The midfielders list was composed of an all Real Madrid grouping. Casemiro, Toni Kroos, and Luka Modrić made the list after each had an impressive role to play in the Champions League tournament. Casemiro scored a goal in the final against Juventus in the 61st minute that put Real ahead 2-1; and Kroos and Modrić controlled the center of the park consistently throughout the tournament.

An impressive list of forwards saw Lionel Messi, Paulo Dybala, and Cristiano Ronaldo make the shortlist. Ronaldo scored 12 goals and recorded five assists in Real’s run up to winning the Champions League. His incredible run included two goals in the final against Juventus to cap off his third Champions League trophy in the last four years.

The awards will be officially handed out on August 24th during the Champions League group-stage draw alongside the UEFA Men's Player of the Year and UEFA Women's Player of the Year awards.