The European Football Association UEFA announced the nominations for the Ballon d’Or 2024 on Wednesday evening. For the first time, the two major superstars of recent decades are missing from the list.
September 4, 2024
Toni Kroos can hope for the award of the Golden Ball following his retirement as a professional footballer. The former national player is on the nomination list for the Ballon d’Or alongside his former Real Madrid teammate Antonio Rüdiger, Florian Wirtz from double-winner Bayer Leverkusen, and former Dortmund player Mats Hummels, whose transfer to Italy was announced on Wednesday.
All of them are among the 30 nominees for this prestigious award. The prize, awarded by the European governing body UEFA and the French specialist magazine “France Football” for the best footballers in the world, will be presented on October 28 in Paris.
Reigning champion Lionel Messi, who triumphed with Argentina at the Copa América this year and has already won the Golden Ball eight times, was not considered, just like Portuguese Cristiano Ronaldo. For the first time since 2003, neither of the two superstars is nominated.
Strong competition for the Germans
Kroos won the Champions League with Real Madrid this year and made a celebrated DFB comeback after almost three years away from the national team. Following the quarter-final exit at the home European Championship, the 34-year-old retired as a professional footballer. Among the other nominees for the men’s category are Norway’s star striker Erling Haaland, Bayern Munich’s English goal scorer Harry Kane, and Nico Williams from European champions Spain.
For the Coach of the Year award, successful coach Xabi Alonso from double-winner Bayer Leverkusen can hold hopes. He is up against Champions League winner Carlo Ancelotti from Real Madrid, Pep Guardiola from English champions Manchester City, and Spain’s European champion Luis de la Fuente.
Bayern’s Tel and Dortmund’s Kobel nominated as well
Mathys Tel (19) from FC Bayern Munich could be chosen as the best young player. However, the big favorite in this category is Spain’s 17-year-old European champion Lamine Yamal from FC Barcelona. In the goalkeeper category, Gregor Kobel from Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund is among the nine other keepers on the list.
The Men’s Football Team of the Year includes Bayer Leverkusen, Borussia Dortmund, Real Madrid, Manchester City, and FC Girona in the shortlist.
The Ballon d’Or has been awarded annually since 1956 by the specialist magazine “France Football,” which belongs to the French media group Groupe Amaury. Since this year, UEFA has been involved in organizing this prestigious award. The Ballon d’Or does not replace the FIFA World Player of the Year award, which is still organized by the global governing body FIFA. From 2010 to 2015, the World Player of the Year was awarded with the Golden Ball through a collaboration between FIFA and “France Football.”
Ballon d’Or 2024, the 30 nominees
| Name | Nationality | Club |
|---|---|---|