UEFA Team of the Year | Wales and Germany both represented by three players

Arsenal midfielder Ramsey and Stoke City playmaker Allen are among the 12 Premier League players who made it to the elite shortlist.

Leicester City's historic EPL win saw Riyad Mahrez and N'Golo Kante (now at Chelsea) make the cut, while Arsenal and Spurs could only muster three players combined. Toby Alderweireld, Laurent Koscielny, Paul Pogba, Kevin de Bruyne, Dimitri Payet, Sergio Aguero, Alexis Sanchez and Zlatan Ibrahimovic complete the list.

2016 Champions League winners Real Madrid have eight players on the list: Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo, Bale, goalkeeper Keylor Navas, Spanish defenders Sergio Ramos and Dani Carvajal along with Pepe(Portugal), and the midfield duo of Luka Modric and Toni Kroos all made it to the 40-man shortlist.

Barcelona are represented by Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Neymar, Andres Iniesta and Gerard Pique on the list comprising four goalkeepers, 12 defenders, 12 midfielders and 12 forwards.

Full List

Goalkeepers: Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus), Keylor Navas (Real Madrid), Jan Oblak (Atletico Madrid) Rui Patricio (Sporting Lisbon).

Defenders: Toby Alderweireld (Tottenham Hostspur) Jerome Boateng (Bayern Munich), Leonardo Bonnuci (Juventus), Dani Carvajal (Real Madrid), Diego Godin (Atletico Madrid), Raphael Guerreiro (Borussia Dortmund), Juanfran (Atletico Madrid), Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich), Laurent Koscielny (Arsenal), Pepe (Real Madrid), Gerard Pique (Barcelona), Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid).

Midfielders: Joe Allen (Stoke City), Kevin De Bruyne (Man City), Yannick Carrasco (Atletico Madrid), Andres Iniesta (Barcelona), N'Golo Kante (Chelsea), Toni Kroos (Real Madrid), Grzegorz Krychowiak (PSG), Riyad Mahrez (Leicester City), Luka Modric (Real Madrid), Dimitri Payet (West Ham), Paul Pogba (Man United), Aaron Ramsey (Arsenal).

Forwards: Sergio Aguero (Man City), Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Borussia Dortmund), Gareth Bale (Real Madrid), Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid), Gonzalo Higuain (Juventus), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Man Utd), Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich), Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Neymar (Barcelona), Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid), Alexis Sanchez (Arsenal), Luis Suarez (Barcelona).

Fans can vote for the team of the year on Uefa's website until 3 January.