Home Football The Ronaldo – Messi era in the Ballon d’Or race comes To An End

The Ronaldo – Messi era in the Ballon d’Or race comes To An End

Football — 09/05/2024

The Ronaldo – Messi era in the Ballon d’Or race comes To An End.

For the first time since 2003, neither Cristiano Ronaldo nor Lionel Messi is on the Ballon d’Or nomination list

As the entire list of Ballon d’Or nominees is announced, Lionel Messi gets left out.

Lionel Messi will not win another Ballon d’Or this year after missing out on the nominations that were made public by the organizers on Wednesday. Real Madrid’s Champions League winners and players from Spain’s squad that won Euro 2024 are highly represented among the nominees.

Last year, Messi won his eighth Ballon d’Or in an illustrious career. Despite winning another title with Argentina at the Copa America in July, he is no longer one of the thirty contenders. He is currently 37 years old.

The former Barcelona player, who currently plays club football for Inter Miami in the Major League Soccer, was not included among the nominees in 2022 when Karim Benzema won.

But he came back to triumph last year, having guided Argentina to victory in the World Cup held in Qatar.

Journalists from every one of the top 100 nations in FIFA’s world ranking serve on a jury that selects candidates for the most important individual football award.

Among the six nominees from the Madrid club that won both La Liga and the Champions League the previous season is the forward from Brazil, Vinicius Junior, who is considered one of the favorites.

Inter Miami's Argentine forward Lionel Messi. Photo by Philip FONG / AFP

The others are Fede Valverde, Antonio Ruediger, Dani Carvajal, Toni Kroos, Jude Bellingham, and Fede Valverde. Kylian Mbappe, who departed Paris Saint-Germain for Real Madrid during the offseason, is also included.

Carvajal is a competitor from the winning Spanish team, together with Dani Olmo, Rodri, Nico Williams, Alejandro Grimaldo, and Lamine Yamal.

The 39-year-old five-time winner Cristiano Ronaldo is not included in the list, despite the inclusion of England and Bayern Munich attacker Harry Kane and Norwegian sensation Erling Haaland of Manchester City.

Messi and Ronaldo are not on the list of nominees for the first time since 2003.

One of the favorites to win best coach is Xabi Alonso, who led Bayer Leverkusen to victory in the Bundesliga during an undefeated season.

Luis de la Fuente of Spain and Carlo Ancelotti of Real Madrid are two of his competitors.

Aitana Bonmati of Barcelona and Spain will be vying to win the women’s Ballon d’Or in the meantime.

Along with five members of the US Olympic gold medal winning team—Sophia Smith, Mallory Swanson, Lindsey Horan, Trinity Rodman, and goalie Alyssa Naeher—as well as past winners Ada Hegerberg and Alexia Putellas are also nominated.