Lionel Messi will not win another Ballon d’Or this year after being left out of the shortlist announced by organisers on Wednesday, with stars from Spain’s Euro 2024-winning team and Real Madrid’s Champions League winners featuring prominently.
Messi won the ninth Ballon d’Or of his dazzling career last year. He is not among the 30 contenders this season, despite winning another Copa America title with Argentina in July.
The former Barcelona superstar, who now plays club football in the MLS for Inter Miami, was also not among the nominees in 2022, when Karim Benzema won.
However, he returned to win last year after leading Argentina to victory in the World Cup in Qatar.
A panel of journalists from each of the top 100 countries in FIFA’s world ranking votes for football’s most prestigious individual award.
Vinicius Junior, a Brazilian forward, is one of six Madrid players nominated for the La Liga and Champions League titles last season.
The others include Jude Bellingham, Dani Carvajal, Toni Kroos, Antonio Ruediger, and Fede Valverde, as well as Kylian Mbappe, who left Paris Saint-Germain for Real Madrid during the offseason.
Carvajal is a competitor from the winning Spain team, alongside Alejandro Grimaldo, Dani Olmo, Rodri, Nico Williams, and Lamine Yamal.
Manchester City’s Norwegian sensation Erling Haaland and England and Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane are also on the list, although five-time winner Cristiano Ronaldo, 39, is not included.
Xabi Alonso, who won the Bundesliga in an unbeaten season with Bayer Leverkusen, is one of the front-runners for greatest coach.
His rivals are Real Madrid’s Carlo Ancelotti and Spain’s Luis de la Fuente.
Meanwhile, Aitana Bonmati of Barcelona and Spain will seek to retain the women’s Ballon d’Or.
Former winners Ada Hegerberg and Alexia Putellas are also nominated, as are five members of the US Olympic gold medal winning team: Sophia Smith, Mallory Swanson, Trinity Rodman, Lindsey Horan, and goalie Alyssa Naeher.
The Ballon d’Or ceremony is set to take place in Paris on October 28.