France Football: ‘Messi’s Absence from the Ballon d’Or List is Undeniable’
Vincent Garcia, the editor-in-chief of France Football, has declared that Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo’s exclusion from the Ballon d’Or Top 30 for the first time in 20 years was to be expected.
In a list released by France Football on September 5th, a number of notable players such as Mohamed Salah, Kevin de Bruyne, Karim Benzema, Robert Lewandowski, Antoine Griezmann, Neymar, and Luka Modric were absent. Emerging talents like Jamal Musiala, Rodrygo, and Julian Alvarez might also feel disappointed by their lack of nominations. However, the primary focus is on the unprecedented absence of both Messi and Ronaldo from the shortlist since 2003.
In an interview with L’Équipe immediately following the announcement, Garcia was questioned about the two football legends who have collectively won 13 Ballon d’Or awards. “There is no debate about Messi’s omission from the nominations,” Garcia stated. “It’s only logical, as both Messi and Ronaldo are no longer in the Top 30 players in the world.”
The 30 nominees are all currently playing in Europe’s top five leagues, whereas Ronaldo and Messi are now featuring in Saudi Arabia and the United States, respectively. Last year, Messi, who was with Inter Miami, won his eighth Ballon d’Or thanks to Argentina’s triumph at the 2022 World Cup. Although Messi also won the Copa America 2024 with Argentina, his influence was not as pronounced as in the previous World Cup.
The absence of Salah has also sparked discussion, but Garcia believes this case is less contentious.
While Garcia refrained from predicting the eventual winner, he revealed that if the Ballon d’Or were to be awarded based solely on achievements up to December 2023, Jude Bellingham would be the frontrunner following an outstanding first half of the season with Real Madrid.
The 2024 Ballon d’Or considers performances from August 1, 2023, to July 31, 2024, taking into account three key factors: individual performance, team success, and overall quality. The 30 candidates were selected by France Football’s panel of experts, and 100 journalists from countries with teams in the FIFA Top 100 will cast their votes. Each journalist will rank five players, with points awarded as 6, 4, 3, 2, and 1. The player with the highest total score will be awarded the Ballon d’Or.
Vinicius Junior is a strong contender for the award, owing to his significant contributions to Real Madrid’s La Liga and Champions League victories. Rodri is also highly regarded, having played a crucial role in Manchester City’s record fourth consecutive Premier League title and Spain’s Euro 2024 victory.
The 2024 Ballon d’Or ceremony will be held at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris on October 28, 2024.
Top 30 Ballon d’Or Nominees 2024: Antonio Rudiger, Kylian Mbappe, Lautaro Martinez, Ademola Lookman, Alejandro Grimaldo, Dani Carvajal, William Saliba, Lamine Yamal, Bukayo Saka, Hakan Calhanoglu, Rodri, Declan Rice, Harry Kane, Cole Palmer, Vitinha, Vinicius Jr, Martin Odegaard, Dani Olmo, Florian Wirtz, Mats Hummels, Erling Haaland, Nicolas Williams, Granit Xhaka, Artem Dovbik, Toni Kroos, Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden, Ruben Dias, Federico Valverde, Emiliano Martinez.
