The 2024 men’s Ballon d’Or trophy was released on Wednesday, September 4, and for the first time since 2003, neither Lionel Messi nor Cristiano Ronaldo were featured on the list.
The omission of Messi, who won his eighth Ballon d’Or in 2022, and Ronaldo, a five-time winner, signals the end of an era. The two superstars dominated the award from 2008 to 2018, with no other player claiming the prize until Luka Modric broke the streak in 2019.
Both players have since moved away from European football, with Messi now playing for Inter Miami in Major League Soccer and Ronaldo playing for Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia.
This development closes a chapter on a historic era in football history as the Ballon d’Or prepares to crown a new winner.
The main award is set to be held on 28 October at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, France.
Meanwhile, Super Eagles and Atalanta star, Ademola Lookman has been nominated for the 2024 Ballon d’Or award.
The 26-year-old was shortlisted alongside 29 players around the World for the coveted award. Lookman is the only African in the full list of Ballon d’Or contenders.
Lookman scored 17 goals and made 11 assists for Atalanta last season. He was also pivotal in the club winning their first-ever European title.
He also gained global recognition after heroics in the Europa League final where he scored a hat-trick as Atalanta defeated Bayer Leverkusen.
Other notable nominees in the men’s category include Jude Bellingham, Vini Junior, Erling Haaland, and Kylian Mbappe.
Yamine Lamal, Toni Kroos, Phil Foden, and Rodri are also included on the list of nominees.
See the full list below…
Antonio Rudiger – Real Madrid
Kylian Mbappe – Real Madrid
Lautaro Martinez – Inter
Ademola Lookman – Atalanta
Alejandro Grimaldo – Bayer Leverkusen
Dani Carvajal – Real Madrid
William Saliba – Arsenal
Lamine Yamal – Barcelona
Bukayo Saka – Arsenal
Hakan Calhanoglu – Inter
Rodri – Man City
Declan Rice- Arsenal
Harry Kane – Bayern Munich
Cole Palmer – Chelsea
Vitinha – PSG
Vinicius Jr – Real Madrid
Martin Odegaard – Arsenal
Dani Olmo – Barcelona
Florian Wirtz – Bayer Leverkusen
Mats Hummels – Roma
Erling Haaland – Man City
Nicolas Williams – Athletic Bilbao
Ruben Dias – Man City
Federico Valverde – Real Madrid
Emiliano Martinez – Aston VIlla
The main award is set to hold on 28 October at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, France.
