Soccer

Lionel Messi, Christiano Ronaldo Omitted From This Year’s Ballon d'Or

Messi and Ronaldo are two of soccer’s biggest superstars but they are not included in this year’s Ballon d'Or award nominations.
Lionel Messi, Christiano Ronaldo Omitted From This Year’s Ballon d'Or
Argentine forward Lionel Messi receives the Ballon d'Or award during the 2021 Ballon d'Or France Football award ceremony at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris on Nov. 29, 2021. Franck Fife/AFP via Getty Images
Todd Karpovich
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Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are still two of international soccer’s greatest superstars, but they are not among the nominees for the game’s most prestigious award this year.

Both players were not included in the list of 30 nominations to win the Ballon d'Or award, given to the world’s best player over the previous season. It’s the first time neither Messi nor Ronaldo were nominated since 2003.
Todd Karpovich
Todd Karpovich
Author
In addition to the Epoch Times, Todd Karpovich is a freelance contributor to the Associated Press, The Sporting News, Baltimore Sun, and PressBox, among other media outlets nationwide, including the Boston Globe, Dallas Morning News, and Chicago Tribune. He is the author or co-author of six non-fiction books.