Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have both been left off the list of nominees for this year’s Ballon d’Or award, marking the first time neither star was nominated since 2003.
Record eight-time winner Messi, and his longtime rival Ronaldo, who has five Ballon d’Or to his name, did not feature Wednesday in a list of 30 players in the running for this year’s prize, which will be presented on October 28.
Vinicius Junior, Rodri, Jude Bellingham, Kylian Mbappé, Erling Haaland, and Harry Kane are among the names nominated.
Teammates Vinicius and Bellingham helped Real Madrid win La Liga and the club’s 16th Champions League title last season, while Haaland led the Premier League in goals scored and Kane did the same for Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga.
Recall that earlier this summer, Mbappé finally sealed his expected move to Madrid after spending six seasons at PSG.
Messi, who is working his way back from injury with club side Inter Miami, won the award last year.
The award has gone to Spanish players in each of the past three years, twice to Putellas and last year to Bonmatí.
England, beaten by Spain in the 2023 World Cup final, has three nominees, Lauren Hemp, Lauren James, and Lucy Bronze.
See full list below:
Men’s Ballon d’Or nominees
Jude Bellingham (England and Real Madrid)
Ruben Dias (Portugal and Manchester City)
Phil Foden (England and Manchester City)
Federico Valverde (Uruguay and Real Madrid)
Emiliano Martinez (Argentina and Aston Villa)
Cole Palmer (England and Chelsea)
Erling Haaland (Norway and Manchester City)
Ademola Lookman (Nigeria and Atalanta)
Nico Williams (Spain and Athletic Bilbao)
Granit Xhaka (Switzerland and Bayer Leverkusen)
Artem Dovbyk (Ukraine and Roma)
Toni Kroos (former Germany and Real Madrid)
Vinicius Jr (Brazil and Real Madrid)
Dani Olmo (Spain and Barcelona)
Florian Wirtz (Germany and Bayer Leverkusen)
Martin Odegaard (Norway and Arsenal)
Mats Hummels (Germany, free agent)
Rodri (Spain and Manchester City)
Harry Kane (England and Bayern Munich)
Declan Rice (England and Arsenal)
Vitinha (Portugal and Paris St-Germain)
Dani Carvajal (Spain and Real Madrid)
Lamine Yamal (Spain and Barcelona)
Bukayo Saka (England and Arsenal)
Hakan Calhanoglu (Turkey and Inter Milan)
William Saliba (France and Arsenal)
Kylian Mbappe (France and Real Madrid)
Lautaro Martinez (Argentina and Inter Milan)
Antonio Rudiger (Germany and Real Madrid)
Alejandro Grimaldo (Spain and Bayer Leverkusen)
Women’s Ballon d’Or nominees
Aitana Bonmati (Spain and Barcelona)
Barbra Banda (Zambia and Orlando Pride)
Tarciane (Brazil and Houston Dash)
Lauren Hemp (England and Manchester City)
Trinity Rodman (United States and Washington Spirit)
Ada Hegerberg (Norway and Lyon)
Manuela Giugliano (Italy and Roma)
Mallory Swanson (United States and Chicago Red Stars)
Glodis Viggosdottir (Iceland and Bayern Munich)
Mariona Caldentey (Spain and Arsenal)
Lauren James (England and Chelsea)
Lea Schuller (Germany and Bayern Munich)
Patricia Guijarro (Spain and Barcelona)
Gabi Portilho (Brazil and Corinthians)
Tabitha Chawinga (Malawi and Lyon)
Caroline Graham Hansen (Norway and Barcelona)
Lindsey Horan (United States and Lyon)
Sjoeke Nusken (Germany and Chelsea)
Yui Hasegawa (Japan and Manchester City)
Lucy Bronze (England and Chelsea)
Salma Paralluelo (Spain and Barcelona)
Giulia Gwinn (Germany and Bayern Munich)
Khadija Shaw (Jamaica and Manchester City)
Grace Geyoro (France and Paris St-Germain)
Alexia Putellas (Spain and Barcelona)
Sophia Smith (United States and Portland Thorns)
Ewa Pajor (Poland and Barcelona)
Alyssa Naeher (United States and Chicago Red Stars)
Mayra Ramirez (Colombia and Chelsea)
Marie-Antoinette Katoto (France and Paris St-Germain)
Kopa Trophy nominees
Pau Cubarsi – (Spain and Barcelona)
Alejandro Garnacho – (Argentina and Manchester United)
Lamine Yamal – (Spain and Barcelona)
Arda Guler – (Turkey and Real Madrid)
Karim Konate – (Cote d’Ivoire and Salzburg)
Kobbie Mainoo – (England and Manchester United)
Joao Neyes – (Portugal and PSG)
Savinho Oliveira – (Brazil and Manchester City)
Mathys Tel – (France and Bayern Munich)
Warren Zaire-Emery – (France and PSG)