Lionel Messi, the legendary Argentine forward, will not be in the running for this year’s Ballon d’Or after being left out of the list of nominees announced by the award’s organizers on Wednesday. This marks a significant change in the landscape of football’s most prestigious individual accolade, as stars from Spain’s Euro 2024-winning team and Real Madrid’s Champions League victors dominate the nominations.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Messi, who claimed his record-breaking eighth Ballon d’Or last year, has not been included among the 30 contenders this time around. Despite securing another title with Argentina at the Copa America in July, the 37-year-old, who now plays for Inter Miami in Major League Soccer (MLS), finds himself out of the spotlight. Notably, Messi was also absent from the nominee list in 2022, a year in which Karim Benzema took home the award, before making a triumphant return in 2023 after leading Argentina to World Cup glory in Qatar.
The Ballon d’Or, awarded by a jury of journalists from the top 100 countries in FIFA’s rankings, remains the pinnacle of individual achievement in football. Among this year’s favorites is Brazil’s Vinicius Junior, one of six players from Real Madrid’s La Liga and Champions League-winning squad to make the list. The other Real Madrid stars include Jude Bellingham, Dani Carvajal, Toni Kroos, Antonio Rüdiger, and Fede Valverde.
Kylian Mbappé, who recently transferred from Paris Saint-Germain to Real Madrid, also features prominently among the nominees, as does Manchester City’s Norwegian sensation Erling Haaland and England’s Harry Kane, now with Bayern Munich. Absent from the list is five-time winner Cristiano Ronaldo, now 39, who has been a fixture in Ballon d’Or discussions for over a decade.
On the coaching side, Xabi Alonso, who led Bayer Leverkusen to an unbeaten Bundesliga season, is considered a top contender for best coach, alongside Real Madrid’s Carlo Ancelotti and Spain’s Luis de la Fuente.
In the women’s category, Aitana Bonmatí of Barcelona and Spain is aiming to defend her title, with previous winners Ada Hegerberg and Alexia Putellas also in the running. Five members of the United States’ Olympic gold medal-winning team—Sophia Smith, Mallory Swanson, Trinity Rodman, Lindsey Horan, and goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher—are among the nominees.
The winners will be announced at the Ballon d’Or ceremony in Paris on October 28, setting the stage for a new era in football recognition.
