Lionel Messi And Cristiano Ronaldo Have Been Left Out Of The Ballon D’Or For This Year.

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, two of the greatest superstars in international soccer, have been left out of the nominees for this year’s most prestigious award.

Real Madrid dominates the list of nominees with seven players: Kylian Mbappé (France), Vinicius Junior (Brazil), Jude Bellingham (England), Federico Valverde (Uruguay), Toni Kroos (Germany), Dani Carvajal (Spain), and Antonio Rudiger (Germany).

Manchester City and Arsenal, both English Premier League teams, follow closely with four nominations each.

Manchester City’s nominees include Erling Haaland (Norway), Rodri (Spain), Ruben Dias (Portugal), and Phil Foden (England).

Arsenal’s nominees are Martin Odegaard (Norway), Declan Rice (England), Bukayo Saka (England), and William Saliba (France).

Other notable players in contention for the Ballon d’Or award are Bayern Munich’s Harry Kane (England), Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal (Spain), and Inter Milan’s Lautaro Martinez (Argentina), as per the recently released list on Sept. 4.

This year’s nominations mark a transition phase in international soccer. Lionel Messi, aged 37, is wrapping up his historic career in the United States with Inter Miami in MLS, while Cristiano Ronaldo, aged 39, is currently playing for Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia.

Nonetheless, Lionel Messi remains the most recognized player in the sport and has the record for winning eight Ballon d’Or awards. Additionally, he has claimed six European Golden Shoes, an accolade given each season to the top goal scorer in the league matches from the highest divisions of European professional soccer leagues.

Messi, after leading Argentina to victory in the 2021 Copa América championship and the 2022 FIFA World Cup, has become a national hero. His performance in the World Cup, where he scored seven goals, including two in the final against France, and broke the record for the most games played in the tournament with 26, further solidified his legendary status.

Following a short spell at Paris Saint-Germain from 2021 to 2023, Messi made a much-publicized move to Inter Miami, signing a contract worth over $20.4 million per year. Additionally, he secured profit-sharing deals with Apple TV, the primary global broadcast partner of MLS, and sports apparel company Adidas.

However, Messi’s chances of being nominated for the latest Ballon d’Or award may have been hampered by a two-month absence due to a sprained ankle suffered over the summer.

Cristiano Ronaldo, also one of the world’s most renowned players, has won five Ballon d’Or awards. In a recent ceremony at the annual draw in Monaco, he received a soccer ball trophy in recognition of being the top scorer in the history of the UEFA Champions League.

Throughout his illustrious 23-year career, Ronaldo has scored 140 goals in 183 appearances for four different teams in the Champions League: Sporting Clube de Portugal, Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Juventus. He has finished as the leading scorer in the competition on seven separate occasions, a feat unmatched by any other player.

“Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the brightest stars in the UEFA Champions League constellation,” stated UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin. “His extraordinary goal-scoring achievements in the competition seem destined to stand the test of time, presenting a remarkable challenge for future generations to surpass.”