The list of 30 candidates for the Ballon d’Or, which was published this Wednesday on the television of the French newspaper L’Équipe, does not include the Argentine Lionel Messi, the current winner of this award.
Messi, who won the golden ball last year for the eighth time in his life, is out of the race to win the individual award. most prestigious in football, which is awarded by a jury of journalists representing the 100 best countries in the FIFA ranking.
The former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain player, who now wears the colors of Inter Miami, was part of Argentina’s Copa América champion side, but at 37 he had less impact than he previously in the Albiceleste victory. He even left the final in the 66th minute due to an ankle injury.
Portugal was not included either. Cristiano Ronaldo, five-time Ballon d’Or winner, who is 39 years old and has been “in exile” since 2023 in Saudi Arabia, where he wears the colors of Al Nassr.
The rest of the big names in football are present in this first pre-selection.
The Norwegian Erling Haaland, champion of the Premier League with Manchester City, or the Englishman Harry Kane, the star of Bayern Munich and second place in the Euro Cup with his national team, were not forgotten either.
Also among the thirty nominees is the Argentinian Lautaro Martínez, crowned in Italy with Inter Milan and in the Copa América with Argentina.
Spanish accent
Spain, who won that Euro Cup, has six representatives on the list: Dani Carvajal, Alejandro Grimaldo, Dani Olmo, Rodri, Nico Williams and Lamine Yamal.
As for the coaches, they seem to be the favorites the Italian Carlo Ancelotti (Real Madrid) and the Spanish Xabi Alonso (Bayer Leverkusen) and Luis De la Fuente (Spanish national team).
Argentine coach Lionel Scaloni, Spanish Pep Guardiola (Manchester City) and Italian Gian Piero Gasperini (Atalanta) are also on the list of nominees.
As for women’s football, the Spanish Aitana Bonmatí will aim to reconfirm the Ballon d’Or, which she achieved for the first time in the previous issue. Her Barça teammate Alexia Putellas, who won in 2021 and 2022, is also on the list of candidates.
The awards ceremony, presented by France Football magazine, will take place on October 28 at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris.
* With information from AFP.
2024-09-05 03:50:27
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