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Lionel Messi hoists his 8th Ballon D'Or Golden Ball trophy during an award presentation at DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, U.S., November 10, 2023. /CFP
For the first time since 2003, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo will not be in the running for the Ballon d'Or.
The 30-men's player list was unveiled on Wednesday with five-time winner Ronaldo and eight-time winner Messi a shock omission from the nominations.
Cristiano Ronaldo shows his five Ballon D'Or Golden Ball trophies prior to a La Liga match between Real Madrid and Sevilla at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid, Spain, December 9, 2017. /CFP
Ronaldo didn't have the best of summer's period with Portugal at the Euros, but Messi was able to lead Argentina to the Copa America title and it's arguably a bit more of a shock to see him missing from the list.
The favorite is Brazil and Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior after he won La Liga and the Champions League last season. Jude Bellingham, Kylian Mbappé, Rodri, Erling Haaland and Harry Kane are also among those nominated for this year's prize, which will be presented on October 28th.
After suffering a ligament injury to his right ankle in the Copa America final, Messi is out of the Argentina squad for upcoming World Cup qualifiers. His coach Lionel Scaloni is not rushing the return of his captain and says he will come back when he feels ready.
Lionel Messi looks at his six Ballon D'Or Golden Ball trophies during a ceremony in Paris, France, December 2, 2019. /CFP
"About Leo, I spoke personally with him before releasing the squad list to see how he was doing. He told me he was improving but wasn't ready yet. It's only a matter of time before he plays with his club again," Scaloni said.
"Whether he'll be available for the next call-up depends on how he plays in the coming days. Besides being world champions, they've done great things. It's always better if they play in Argentina, as it's a positive for our country," he added.