The newly released Ballon d’Or list is unconventional, as it feels strange to be without the two most prolific recipients of the award, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Ronaldo, Messi exclusion

According to Fabrizio Romano on X, or the first time since 2003, neither Ronaldo nor Messi will be in the running for the prestigious award, and this has sparked discussions among fans.
🚨 OFFICIAL: Cristiano Ronaldo and Leo Messi, out of the Ballon d’Or nominees for the first time since 2003. pic.twitter.com/ROmuQ3Wa5j
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) September 4, 2024
A 30-player list was released on Wednesday, which saw both players missing from the compilation.
While many would argue that Messi and Ronaldo haven’t done enough to warrant a place on the list, others contend that both players have performed at a level comparable to some of those included but are merely victims of their own extraordinarily high standards.
Lookman, Real Madrid, and Arsenal stars feature on list

The list features Super Eagles star Ademola Lookman, who helped Atalanta to their first ever continental trophy after scoring a hattrick in the Europa League final against Bayer Leverkusen.
Also on the list are Real Madrid stars Vinicius Jnr., Jude Bellingham, and Kylian Mbappe, who have been the long-time frontrunners of the award, alongside Dani Cavajal, who also had a shout for his successful season for both country and club.


However, Los Blancos’ attacker Rodrygo failed to make the list, which comes as a huge surprise considering his immense contribution to Madrid’s successful 2023-2024 campaign.
Rodri, another recently-emerged favourite for the award, was unsurprisingly on the list, alongside other Manchester City stars including Erling Haaland, Phil Foden, Ruben Diaz. Kevin De Bruyne’s exclusion, however, raises eyebrows.


Arsenal stars Declan Rice, one of the top 10 midfielders in 2024, Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, and William Saliba, who made the Euro 2024 XI all made the list, which also features Chelsea star Cole Palmer, who had an incredible individual season despite the Blues’ woes.



Ballon d’Or 2024 30-man shortlist
Check out full list here according to :
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)
Erling Haaland (Norway and Manchester City)
Nico Williams (Spain and Athletic Bilbao)
Granit Xhaka (Switzerland and Bayer Leverkusen)
Artem Dovbyk (Ukraine and Roma)
Toni Kroos (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, AS Roma)
Rodri (Spain and Manchester City)
Harry Kane (England and Bayern Munich)
Declan Rice (England and Arsenal)
Vitinha (Portugal and Paris St-Germain)
Cole Palmer (England and Chelsea)
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)
Ademola Lookman (Nigeria and Atalanta)
Antonio Rudiger (Germany and Real Madrid)
Alejandro Grimaldo (Spain and Bayer Leverkusen)