For the first time in twenty-one years, neither of the superstars is included in the list of nominees; however, Olympic and European winners Spain has six players on the list.
For the first time since 2003, neither Cristiano Ronaldo nor Lionel Messi have been nominated as nominees for the men’s Ballon d’Or, with England’s Jude Bellingham among the 30 players chosen.
Cristiano Ronaldo, who has won the award five times, was not nominated this year either. Lionel Messi, who won in 2023 for a record eighth time and has been nominated sixteen times, was not included this year despite Argentina’s Copa America victory.
Six players from Spain, the reigning champions of Euro 2024, have been nominated for the 2024 Ballon d’Or: Nico Williams, Alejandro Grimaldo, Dani Olmo, Rodri, and Dani Carvajal, who also won the Champions League with Real Madrid.
Real Madrid has seven players nominated in total, including Kylian Mbappe, who recently joined from Paris St. Germain. The other two nominations for the Spanish team are Bellingham and Vinicius Junior.
England, who finished second to Spain in the 2024 European Championship, has five other nominees: Harry Kane, Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice, Cole Palmer, and Phil Foden.
At the European Championship, Rodri—who was chosen player of the tournament—said his team deserved to have a player win the Ballon d’Or.
The world’s finest player will be named during the 2024 Ballon d’Or awards ceremony, which will be held in Paris on October 28.
Ballon d’Or New Era
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are not on the Ballon d’Or shortlist for the first time in 21 years.
Many people had anticipated that Messi, who recently helped Argentina win another Copa America title, would be included; nonetheless, his exclusion signifies a significant change in the football world. Ronaldo, who was left off of the 2023 shortlist, is similarly left off.
As the football community starts to recognize the potential of the next generation of players, their absence creates space for new stars to rise. This year’s ceremony looks to be among the most surprising in recent memory because Messi and Ronaldo have dominated the award for so long.
