Lionel Messi has been omitted from the list of nominees to win the 2024 Ballon d’Or award for the world’s best football player.
For the first time since 2003 neither Lionel Messi nor Cristiano Ronaldo have been included in the nominees for the men’s Ballon d’Or award, which were announced on Wednesday, with England’s Jude Bellingham among the 30 players named.
Ronaldo, who has won the award five times, also failed to receive a nomination last year, while Messi, who won for a record eighth time in 2023 and has been nominated 16 times, misses out despite Copa America win this year.
Spain, winners of Euro 2024, have six players nominated including 17-year-old Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal, along with Nico Williams, Alejandro Grimaldo, Dani Olmo, Rodri and Dani Carvajal who also won the Champions League with Real Madrid.
Real Madrid have a total of seven players nominated, including Kylian Mbappe who recently signed from Paris St Germain, with Bellingham and Vinicius Junior among the Spanish club’s other nominees.
England, runners-up to Spain at Euro 2024 have five other nominees apart from Bellingham: Harry Kane, Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice, Cole Palmer and Phil Foden.
In the women’s Ballon d’Or Feminin, Champions League winners Barcelona have six nominees in total, including last year’s winner Aitana Bonmati and two-time winner Alexia Putellas.
The 2024 Ballon d’Or Awards ceremony, to crown the world’s best player, will take place on October 28 in Paris.
