This year’s list of Ballon D’or nominations is out and Messi’s name is conspicuously missing on it. Since leaving Barcelona last season, the eccentric striker has struggled to make his mark in his new club, PSG, and has had a lackluster performance all season. Could this be one of the reasons he didn’t make this year’s cut?
Though non-fans are quick to point out that Messi Ballon D’or win last season was a fluke and unmerited, fans are quick to dismiss their fears in their defense of the seven-time Ballon D’or winner. Neymar is also not on this year’s list.
Out of this year’s Ballon D’or nominees, Benzema seems to be the favourite to clinch it. Ballon D’or is the acronym given to Europe Best Player award.
The full Ballon D’or nominees below:
- Thibaut Courtois – Real Madrid
- Rafael Leao – AC Milan
- Christopher Nkunku – RB Leipzig
- Mohamed Salah – Liverpool
- Joshua Kimmich – Bayern Munich
- Trent Alexander-Arnold – Liverpool
- Bernardo Silva – Manchester City
- Luis Diaz – Liverpool
- Robert Lewandowski – Barcelona
- Riyad Mahrez – Manchester City
- Casemiro – Real Madrid
- Heung-Min Son – Tottenham
- Fabinho – Liverpool
- Karim Benzema – Real Madrid
- Mike Maignan – AC Milan
- Harry Kane – Tottenham
- Darwin Nunez – Liverpool
- Phil Foden – Manchester City
- Sadio Mane – Bayern Munich
- Sebastian Haller – Dortmund
- Luka Modric – Real Madrid
- Antonio Rudiger – Real Madrid
- Cristiano Ronaldo – Manchester United
- Kevin De Bruyne – Manchester City
- Dusan Vlahovic – Juventus
- Virgil van Dijk – Liverpool
- Joao Cancelo – Manchester City
- Kylian Mbappe – PSG
- Erling Haaland – Manchester City
