28. Paulo Dybala
In a recent run of dominance in Serie A, Juventus players have become a staple in the Ballon d’Or long list. This year, one of those players is Argentine international Paulo Dybala.
With players like Gianluigi Buffon and Giorgio Chiellini anchoring the defense, the Italian super-club hasn’t been known for its goal scorers. Just don’t tell that to Dybala.
After three steady years for Serie A club Palermo, Dybala made the transfer to Juve and things clicked immediately. With a club-leading 19 league goals, Dybala instantly put himself on the map as a top club player in Italy.
This season, he’s joined by last year’s top scorer in Serie A, Gonzalo Higuain. While Higuain has been occupying both Juve’s No. 9 role and No. 9 shirt, Dybala hasn’t stopped scoring. He has three goals in seven games while playing as a second striker.
Internationally, his Argentina career has yet to get off and running due to a crowded group of attackers. But considering he’s five-plus years younger than everyone in the current group of Higuain, Messi, Sergio Aguero, Angel di Maria and Javier Pastore, it’s only a matter of time before Dybala not only gets his chances for Argentina, but takes them as well.