End of an era! Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo left off the list of nominees for the Ballon d'Or

The inevitable end of one of the greatest eras in sport has arrived. For the first time since 2003, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo do not appear among the 30 nominees for the Ballon d'Or. The two greatest figures of 21st century football have been pushed aside after 21 years, in which, for 15 of them, they shared the main stage without interruption, thus closing an era that will remain in the memory of all football fans.

The Argentine and the Portuguese starred in an exciting rivalry for years in this award. The Rosario native has been nominated on 16 occasions! and he is the footballer who has lifted the trophy awarded by France Football the most times, at one time accompanied by FIFA and now by UEFA, being considered the best player in the world on eight occasions: 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, 2021 and 2023.

For his part, Cristiano is the player who was nominated the most times, sneaking in among the candidates on 18 occasions, and took the award home on five occasions: 2008, 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2017. Between the two stars, they have accumulated a total of 13 Ballon d'Ors, an unprecedented feat between two players of the same epic and one that can hardly be repeated throughout the history of football.

Changing of the guard

Now, both are enjoying different moments in their careers, where they continue to play football, but further away from the pressure of being a top player in Europe. Messi plays for Inter Miami in the MLS and this summer won the 2024 Copa América, while CR7 plays for Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia, where he is one of the ambassadors of the local league. Their disappearance from the elite has prevented them from being considered for the award, but after so many years at the top, it seems fair that they have a well-deserved rest and give way to those who follow in their footsteps.

Thus, a new era in sport begins from now on, with players such as Lamine Yamal, Vinicius Jr., Jude Bellingham, Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland called to take the baton from two of the great legends of world sport. The FC Barcelona star has already made history by becoming the youngest nominee in the history of the award, and if he continues his rise, everything points to him being able to sit at the table of Messi and Ronaldo, who are now watching from the sidelines the legacy built over so many years.