 "Lionel Messi had won the Copa America with Argentina in July. Reuters")
Lionel Messi has been left out of the long list of nominees for the Ballon d’Or this year, as stars of Spain’s Euro 2024-winning team and Real Madrid’s Champions League victors feature heavily.
Messi clinched the eighth Ballon d’Or of his career last year. Now 37, he is not among the 30 contenders this time despite winning another title with Argentina at the continental Copa America in July.
The former Barcelona superstar, now playing club football in the US for Inter Miami, was also missing from the list of nominations in 2022 when Karim Benzema took the honours.
However, he returned to win last year after leading Argentina to glory at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
The most prestigious individual award in football is voted for by a jury of journalists from each of the top 100 countries in FIFA’s world ranking.
Brazil forward Vinicius Jr. is among the favourites and is one of six members of the Real Madrid team that won La Liga and the Champions League last season to be nominated.
Jude Bellingham, Dani Carvajal, now-retired Toni Kroos, Antonio Ruediger and Fede Valverde are the others, while Kylian Mbappe — who left Paris Saint-Germain for Real over the close season — features too.
Carvajal is among the lead contenders from the victorious Spain team alongside Alejandro Grimaldo, Dani Olmo, Rodri, Nico Williams and Lamine Yamal.
Manchester City’s Erling Haaland and Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane are on the list as well, but there is no place for five-time winner Cristiano Ronaldo, now 39.
Xabi Alonso, who won the Bundesliga in an unbeaten season with Bayer Leverkusen, is among the favourites for best coach.
His rivals include Real Madrid’s Carlo Ancelotti and Spain’s Luis de la Fuente.
Meanwhile, Aitana Bonmati of Barcelona and Spain will hope to retain the women’s Ballon d’Or.
Former winners Ada Hegerberg and Alexia Putellas are also nominated, along with five members of the United States’ Olympic gold medal-winning team in Sophia Smith, Mallory Swanson, Trinity Rodman, Lindsey Horan and goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher.
The Ballon d’Or ceremony is due to take place in Paris on October 28.
List of Ballon d’Or 2024 nominees:
Jude Bellingham
Ruben Dias
Phil Foden
Federico Valverde
Emiliano Martinez
Erling Haaland
Nico Williams
Granit Xhaka
Artem Dovbyk
Toni Kroos
Vinicius Jr.
Dani Olmo
Florian Wirtz
Martin Odegaard
Mats Hummels
Rodri
Harry Kane
Declan Rice
Vitinha
Cole Palmer
Dani Carvajal
Lamine Yamal
Bukayo Saka
Hakan Calhanoglu
William Saliba
Kylian Mbappe
Lautaro Martinez
Ademola Lookman
Antonio Rudiger
Alejandro Grimaldo
List of Ballon d’Or Feminin 2024 nominees:
Aitana Bonmati
Barbra Banda
Tarciane
Lauren Hemp
Trinity Rodman
Ada Hegerberg
Manuela Giugliano
Mallory Swanson
Glodis Viggosdottir
Mariona Caldentey
Lauren James
Lea Schuller
Patricia Guijarro
Gabi Portilho
Tabitha Chawinga
Caroline Graham Hansen
Lindsey Horan
Sjoeke Nusken
Yui Hasegawa
Lucy Bronze
Salma Paralluelo
Giulia Gwinn
Khadija Shaw
Grace Geyoro
Alexia Putellas
Sophia Smith
Ewa Pajor
Alyssa Naeher
Mayra Ramirez
Marie-Antoinette Katoto