For the first time since 2003, neither Cristiano Ronaldo nor Lionel Messi have been included as the nominees for the men’s Ballon d’Or award, with England’s Jude Bellingham among the 30 footballers named.
Portugal superstar Ronaldo, who has won the award five times, had failed to receive a nomination last year also, while Messi, who won for a record eighth time in 2023 and has been nominated 16 times, missed out despite Argentina’s Copa America win this year.
Spain, winners of Euro 2024, have six players nominated, including 17-year-old Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal, along with Nico Williams, Alejandro Grimaldo, Dani Olmo, Rodri and Dani Carvajal, who also won the Champions League with Real Madrid.
Real have a total of seven players nominated, including Kylian Mbappe who recently signed from Paris St Germain, with Bellingham and Brazil’s Vinicius Junior among the Spanish club’s other nominees.
England, runners-up to Spain at Euro 2024, have five other nominees apart from Bellingham: Harry Kane, Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice, Cole Palmer and Phil Foden.
Rodri, who was named the player of the tournament at the European Championship, said his team deserved to have one of their players win the Ballon d’Or.
While the prestigious award has been dominated by Spanish league players, no Spaniard has won the prize for best player in the world since Barcelona great Luis Suarez in 1960, despite Spain’s “golden generation” that won the 2010 World Cup, as well as the 2008 and 2012 Euros.
Not only did Spain play a perfect European Championship by winning all seven games in Germany, but they also scored 15 goals, the most by any team in a Euros.
“Spanish football deserves a Ballon d’Or winner,” the Manchester City player said after the final. “I’m going to be honest, I would like for a Spaniard to win it, I don’t care who. It would be great.”
Asked about his chances of winning the award, Rodri said, “I’ve heard that [Champions League winners Real Madrid’s] Dani Carvajal also deserves it. From an individual standpoint, I’m very proud of what I am doing and the recognition I’m getting. But someone else has to make that assessment.”
In the women’s Ballon d’Or Feminin, Champions League winners Barcelona have six nominees in total, including last year’s winner Aitana Bonmati and two-time winner Alexia Putellas.
The 2024 Ballon d’Or awards ceremony, to crown the world’s best player, will take place on October 28 in Paris.
