Ballon d’Or nominees announced, Lionel Messi misses cut for first time since 2005

Robert Lewandowski, Kylian Mbappé, Karim Benzema, Erling Haaland and five-time winner Cristiano Ronaldo were all included in the 30-man list of Ballon d’Or nominees but Lionel Messi missed out after a slow start with Paris Saint-Germain

Seven-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi was omitted from the 30-man list of nominees for the prestigious award on Friday for the first time since 2005.

France Football magazine has given out the award to men every year since 1956 and to women each year since 2018, though both were canceled in 2020 because of the pandemic.