Only three Spanish players have been nominated for the prestigious award - the lowest since 2007. Chelsea's in-form striker Diego Costa and Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos come into the fray alongside Iniesta.
The Ballon d'Or is an annual celebration of the best group of footballers on the planet and this year, it's a mouthwatering list of talents from all areas of the pitch - yet it still seems strangely empty, like something is missing. That absentee is, of course, Xavi Hernandez.
The 34-year-old has played an integral part in the success of both Barcelona and the Spanish national team, earning his status as perhaps his country's most gifted player ever, so the thought of Xavi not making the list of 23 players in the World seems totally absurd.
This however, is the sad inevitability of football. The reality is that maybe Xavi's leg's just can't hack it anymore. Frozen out of the Barcelona set-up by new boss Luis Enrique and making just four starts in nine league games, while young, hungry midfielders are queuing up to take his spot on the Spanish national team, the man once branded 'the DNA of Barcelona' by former manager Pep Guardiola now faces the biggest uphill challenge of his life in getting his career back on track.
Whatever Xavi does from here on in though, he'll always be remembered as a footballing god and one of the best midfielders to play the game.