For the first time since 2003, neither Cristiano Ronaldo nor Lionel Messi have been included in the nominees for the men’s Ballon d’Or award. The list of 30 nominees, announced on Wednesday, features England’s Jude Bellingham among the contenders.
Cristiano Ronaldo, who has won the award five times, was also left out of last year’s nominations. Lionel Messi, who claimed a record eighth Ballon d’Or in 2023, did not receive a nomination this year despite Argentina’s Copa America victory.
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Spain, winners of Euro 2024, have six players nominated, including Barcelona’s 17-year-old winger Lamine Yamal. Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe, who recently joined from Paris Saint-Germain, also made the list, along with fellow Real players like Bellingham and Vinicius Junior. England, runners-up at Euro 2024, have five other nominees: Harry Kane, Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice, Cole Palmer, and Phil Foden.
In the women’s Ballon d’Or Feminin category, Barcelona leads with six nominees, including last year’s winner Aitana Bonmati and two-time winner Alexia Putellas.
The 2024 Ballon d’Or Awards ceremony will take place on October 28 in Paris, where the world’s best players will be crowned.
