Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo absent from list for first time in 21 years – Libération

2024-09-05 08:43:00

The two football megastars do not appear in the pre-selected list revealed by “L’Equipe” on Wednesday evening 4 September. This has never happened since 2003.

A page is turning, for better or for worse. Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are absent from the list of 30 candidates for the Ballon d’Or, revealed on Wednesday evening 4 September on the newspaper’s website The team. It is the first time since 2003 that the two football monsters do not appear in this pre-selection for the supreme individual prize. The two players, who together have won 13 Ballon d’Ors – 8 for the Argentine, 5 for the Portuguese -, pay for their worsening performances with their advanced age and their golden exiles: the first in the United States, the second in Saudi Arabia.

The last time Messi and Ronaldo were absent from this list, it was Czech Pavel Nedved who lifted the trophy. On the podium he was in good company, with Thierry Henry and Paolo Maldini, followed by Andriy Chevtchenko and Zinedine Zidane.

Lionel Messi, winner of the 2023 edition of the trophy, was not selected. This is the second time since 2005 that Messi, victorious last year for the eighth time, is out of the running for the most prestigious individual prize in world football, which will be awarded after a vote by a jury of journalists representing the top 100 nations in the FIFA rankings. The former FC Barcelona legend, who now plays at Inter Miami, had already failed in 2022.

Messi, however, won a second Copa America this year with Argentina (after 2021) but the 37-year-old Albiceleste captain had less influence on his team’s success than in the past, even exiting the final in the 66th minute ‘ after an ankle injury. Cristiano Ronaldo was already absent from this list of 30 last year.

The other big names in world football, however, are present. Brazilian striker Vinicius, a big favorite after Real Madrid’s 15th victory in the Champions League, is there in the company of his two teammates Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappé. Erling Haaland, English champion with Manchester City, and English striker Harry Kane, unfortunate Euro-2024 finalist, have not been forgotten.

In the list there is also ample space for the European champions wearing the Roja shirt (Dani Carvajal, Alejandro Grimaldo, Dani Olmo, Rodri, Nico Williams, Lamine Yamal). On the French side, defender William Saliba, very successful at the European Championships, is the only one to accompany Mbappé.

Xabi Alonso, German champion at the helm of Bayer Leverkusen, Carlo Ancelotti, winner of the Champions League with Real Madrid, and Luis de la Fuente, Spanish coach, start as the favorites for the manager of the season award. The other nominees are the Italian Gian Piero Gasperini, winner of the Europa League with Atalanta Bergamo, Pep Guardiola and the Argentine coach Lionel Scaloni.

Among the women, Spain’s Aitana Bonmati will attempt the double while her FC Barcelona teammate Alexia Putellas (FC Barcelona) hopes to achieve the triple after 2021 and 2022.