For the first time since 2003, neither Lionel Messi nor Cristiano Ronaldo received a nomination for the Ballon d’Or, signaling the end of an era in football.

Eight times—in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, 2021, and 2023 ,Argentine captain Lionel Messi was the winner. Five times, Portuguese legend Ronaldo won the trophy: in 2008, 2013, 2014, 2016, and 2017 . Messi was crowned the seventh consecutive Ballon D’Or winner after Argentina emerged victorious from their third World Cup in late 2022.

Before Luka Modric ended the joint run of Messi and Ronaldo sharing the individual award in 2018, the two had done so for ten years in a row.

The list for 2024 was released by France Football on Wednesday. Players on the list include Dani Olmo, Nico Williams, Lamine Yamal, Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Jr., and Kylian Mbappe.

Real Madrid, the team that won both La Liga and the Champions League the previous season, had the most players in the final 30.

Other than Yamal, Williams, and Olmo, six players from the Spanish team that won the Euros this summer were included in the final 30, including Rodri, Alejandro Grimaldo, and Dani Carvajal.

Aside from Bellingham, the runners-up, England, included Declan Rice, Harry Kane, Bukayo Saka, Cole Palmer, and Phil Foden in their group of finalists.

End Of an Era; Fans are Heartbroken without Messi and Ronaldo

Football Enthusiasts state that Football’s golden age came to an end when Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo failed to receive nominations for the Ballon d’Or for the first time since 2003.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are without a doubt the greatest football players of all time. Their incredible talent, perseverance, and never-ending pursuit of excellence have dominated the sport for more than 20 years. As they near the end of their careers, a significant chapter in football history is coming to a momentous close. Their influence will undoubtedly endure and forever alter the beautiful game. 

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo both had incredible Ballon d’Or performances. Portuguese phenom Ronaldo received his first nomination in 2004 after joining Manchester United from Sporting CP. He has received the most nominations ever, with a total of 18.

After 2004, Ronaldo received fifteen consecutive nominations. However, 2023 was the first time since his initial nomination that he was left off the list. Ronaldo has won the Ballon d’Or five times in his career (in 2008, 2013, 2014, 2016, and 2017), making him the second-biggest winner in history after Messi.

Lionel Messi, on the other hand, has received sixteen nominations; the first one was in 2006. With the exception of 2022, Messi made the shortlist each year up until that point due to a less than stellar season with Paris Saint-Germain.

Years 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, 2021, and 2023—Messi’s eight-round Ballon d’Or winners Ronaldo notably won the title four times in a row from 2009 to 2012 before he was recognized with the awards in 2013 and 2014.

The following 30 players are on the shortlist for the Ballon d’Or this year:

Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Junior, Rodri, Dani Carvajal, Bukayo Saka, Ruben Dias, William Saliba, Fede Valverde, Cole Palmer, Lamine Yamal, Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappe, Toni Kroos, Martin Odegaard, Emiliano Martinez, Granit Xhaka, Artem Dovbyk, Harry Kane, Mats Hummels, Hakan Calhanoglu, Nico Williams, Phil Foden, Florian Wirtz, Dani Olmo, Declan Rice, Vitinha, Ademola Lookman, Lautaro Martinez, Alejandro Grimaldo, Antonio Rudiger.