End of an Era: Messi and Ronaldo Left Off Ballon d’Or List for the First Time in 21 Years!

The 30-player shortlist for the 2024 Ballon d’Or has been unveiled, marking a historic shift in soccer’s premier individual award. For the first time in 21 years, Lionel Messi (Inter Miami) and Cristiano Ronaldo (Al Nassr) have been left off the list, signaling the end of an era dominated by these two legends.

On Thursday, France Football released this year’s list, explaining the absence of Messi and Ronaldo. Both stars have moved out of European leagues—Messi to the U.S. and Ronaldo to Saudi Arabia—diminishing their chances given the traditional favorability of European-based players. While both continue to shine with their national teams, their limited impact in recent international tournaments has made Ballon d’Or nominations elusive.

Messi won the 2024 Copa America, but this victory seems to have diminished his chances for a nomination. In contrast, Ronaldo did not achieve satisfactory results in the 2024 UEFA European Championship (Euro 2024).

This year’s list features a strong showing from Spain and England, the champions and runners-up of Euro 2024. Spain’s nominees are Dani Carvajal (Real Madrid), Alejandro Grimaldo (Bayer Leverkusen), Dani Olmo (RB Leipzig/Barcelona), Rodri (Manchester City), Nico Williams (Athletic Bilbao), and Lamine Yamal (Barcelona). From England, the nominees include Phil Foden (Manchester City), Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Cole Palmer (Manchester City/Chelsea), Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), and Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid).

Despite a quarterfinal exit at Euro 2024, Germany has four nominees, including recently retired Toni Kroos. France, which reached the semifinals, sees Kylian Mbappé (Real Madrid) and William Saliba (Arsenal) among its representatives. Erling Haaland (Manchester City), who was runner-up last year, and Vinícius Júnior (Real Madrid) are also in contention, each seeking their first Ballon d’Or win.

The winner of the 2024 Ballon d’Or will be announced on October 28.