Messi and Ronaldo Absent from Ballon d'Or Nominees for First Time Since 2003

Messi and Ronaldo Absent from Ballon d’Or Nominees for First Time Since 2003

2 min read

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo were not included in the 2024 Ballon d’Or nominations list, which was announced on Wednesday, September 4, ending a streak of more than 20 years. For the first time since 2003, neither of the guys appeared on the list. Messi holds the record with eight wins, with his most recent victory being in 2023. Conversely, Ronaldo has taken home the esteemed trophy five times.

The Portuguese sensation, who is playing with Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League, was consecutively included on the Ballon d’Or list from 2004 until 2022. With the exception of 2022, Messi has consistently been a contender for the award since receiving his first nomination in 2006. Last year, the Argentine joined Ronaldo in leaving European football to join Inter Miami in the Major League Soccer (MLS).

It’s interesting to note that Ronaldo was among the top scorers last season with 54 goals for both club and country. Ronaldo, the final Premier League player to win the top accolade, won his first Ballon d’Or in 2008 while he was a player for Manchester United.

2024 Men’s Ballon d’Or nominees

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Jude Bellingham
🇧🇷 Vinicius Junior
🇪🇸 Rodri
🇪🇸 Dani Carvajal
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Bukayo Saka
🇵🇹 Ruben Dias
🇫🇷 William Saliba
🇺🇾 Fede Valverde
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Cole Palmer
🇪🇸 Lamine Yamal
🇳🇴 Erling Haaland
🇫🇷 Kylian Mbappé
🇩🇪 Toni Kroos
🇳🇴 Martin Ødegaard
🇦🇷 Emi…
— Squawka (@Squawka) September 4, 2024

The final list of 30, which was made public on Wednesday, included a number of well-known players; the standouts are Vinicius Jr., Jude Bellingham, Kylian Mbappe, and Toni Kroos. On the list that was made public on Wednesday is Erling Haaland, who was the Premier League’s top scorer the previous year.