The soccer world is closely watching the 2025 Ballon d’Or nominations to crown the best player of the 2024-25 season, and a historic surprise signals a changing of the guard: neither Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi nor Al Nassr’s Cristiano Ronaldo has been shortlisted for the award.
Messi was the last of the two to win the Ballon d’Or, receiving the award in 2023. He is also the player with the most wins, having claimed the honor eight times. Ronaldo, on the other hand, last won the prize in 2017, taking it home for the fifth time in his career.
At 38 years old, Messi is in his third year in MLS with Inter Miami, the club he joined in July 2023. Meanwhile, Ronaldo has already reached 40 and continues to score goals in the Saudi Pro League with Al Nassr. However, neither player is part of this year’s shortlist for the best player in the world.
When was the last time both of them were overlooked?
The last time both Messi and Ronaldo were overlooked was during the 2024 Ballon d’Or nominations, an award ultimately won by Manchester City midfielder Rodri. In that sense, this marks the second consecutive absence from the shortlist for both the Portuguese and the Argentine stars.
The fact that neither Cristiano Ronaldo nor Messi is among the 30 nominees for the Ballon d’Or confirms a clear changing of the guard after nearly two decades of shared dominance. At least one of the two had been included in the shortlist every year from 2004 to 2024, keeping their names at the top of world soccer for 20 years.
Who are the main candidates to win the 2025 Ballon d’Or?
In the post-Messi and Ronaldo era, new players are starting to take center stage. FC Barcelona’s Raphinha and Lamine Yamal, Paris Saint-Germain’s Ousmane Dembele, and Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe are the top contenders for the award. Interestingly, Rodri will not be able to defend his title due to a long-term injury that sidelined him for the entire season.
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Who will win the Ballon d'Or?
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