Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have both been excluded from the 2024 Ballon d'Or nominations, marking the first time since 2003 that neither has been on the list.
Messi, an eight-time Ballon d'Or winner, and Ronaldo, who has claimed the award five times, were not among the 30 nominees announced on Wednesday.
Messi, who is currently recovering from an injury with Inter Miami, had previously won the Ballon d'Or last year. He won the award seven times between 2009 and 2021. Ronaldo, who was first nominated in 2004, and Messi dominated the award during their careers, sharing 13 wins from 2008 to 2021.
Nominees for the 2024 Ballon d'Or
This year's nominations include star performers such as Vinicius Junior, Rodri, Jude Bellingham, Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland, and Harry Kane. Vinicius and Bellingham played a key role in Real Madrid winning the La Liga trophy and Champions League.
Haaland on the other hand was the top scorer in the Premier League, while Kane led the Bundesliga in goals with Bayern Munich despite not winning a single trophy. Mbappe on the other hand made headlines for making his move to Real Madrid from PSG.
In the women’s category, five American players have been nominated: Lindsey Horan, Alyssa Naeher, Trinity Rodman, Sophia Smith, and Mallory Swanson. Their nominations follow the US team's gold medal win at the 2024 Olympics.
Spain's nominees include Aitana BonmatĂ, Mariona Caldentey, Patri Guijarro, Salma Paralluelo, and Alexia Putellas with Spain finishing fourth in the Olympics and winning the World Cup the previous year. England has three nominees in form of Lauren Hemp, Lauren James, and Lucy Bronze.
About Ballon d'Or
The Ballon d'Or is an annual football award presented by French magazine France Football since 1956 to honour the player deemed to have performed the best over the previous season. The 2024 Ballon d'Or Awards ceremony, to crown the world's best player, will take place on October 28 in Paris.
