New Delhi, September 5: For the first time in over 20 years, football legends Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are absent from the Ballon d'Or nominations.
Messi, who has claimed the award a record-breaking eight times, including last year, and Ronaldo, a five-time winner, have both missed out this year. Currently, Ronaldo is playing for Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia, while Messi has moved to the U.S., where he recently led Inter Miami to their first-ever trophy.
Ronaldo won his first Ballon d'Or in 2008 while at Manchester United, and to this day, he remains the last Premier League player to take home the prestigious prize. Messi first claimed the honor in 2009 and was nominated for 16 consecutive years.
This year's list of 30 nominees includes six players from England: Jude Bellingham, Bukayo Saka, Cole Palmer, Harry Kane, Phil Foden, and Declan Rice. Bellingham has been recognized for his outstanding debut season with Real Madrid and his role in helping England reach the Euro 2024 final.
Spain, the Euro 2024 champions, has six players nominated, including Rodri, Dani Carvajal, Lamine Yamal, Nico Williams, Dani Olmo, and Alejandro Grimaldo. Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior is among the frontrunners for the award, alongside Kylian Mbappe and Manchester City's Erling Haaland. Emiliano Martinez, the Golden Glove winner from the 2022 FIFA World Cup, also made the list.
This year's Ballon d'Or nominees include:
Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Junior, Rodri, Dani Carvajal, Bukayo Saka, Ruben Dias, William Saliba, Fede Valverde, Cole Palmer, Lamine Yamal, Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappe, Toni Kroos, Martin Odegaard, Emiliano Martinez, Granit Xhaka, Artem Dovbyk, Harry Kane, Mats Hummels, Hakan Calhanoglu, Nico Williams, Phil Foden, Florian Wirtz, Dani Olmo, Declan Rice, Vitinha, Ademola Lookman, Lautaro Martinez, Alejandro Grimaldo, Antonio Rudiger.
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