The 2024 Ballon d’Or nominees have been announced, with notable absentees Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi missing from the list for the first time in 21 years. Instead, England’s Jude Bellingham has been included among the 30 nominees, alongside six players from Euro champions Spain. Portugal’s Ronaldo, a five-time winner of the award, failed to receive a nomination last year as well, while Messi, an eight-time winner, missed out despite Argentina’s Copa America victory.
Spain, winners of Euro 2024, have six players nominated for the Ballon d’Or, including young Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal. Real Madrid leads the way with seven nominees, including new signing Kylian Mbappe, with Bellingham and Vinicius Junior also in the mix. England, runners-up at Euro 2024, have five other nominees apart from Bellingham, including Harry Kane, Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice, Cole Palmer, and Phil Foden.
Rodri, who was named the player of the tournament at the European Championship, believes that a Spanish player deserves to win the Ballon d’Or. Despite Spain’s success in recent years, no Spaniard has won the award since Luis Suarez in 1960. Rodri expressed his desire for a fellow Spaniard to win the prestigious prize, stating that he doesn’t care who it is as long as they are deserving.
Spain had a dominant performance at the European Championship, winning all seven games and scoring 15 goals, the most by any team in the tournament. After the final, Rodri expressed his hope for a Spanish player to win the Ballon d’Or, signaling a desire to see his national team’s achievements recognized on the global stage. While he acknowledges his own individual success, Rodri believes someone else should ultimately decide who is deserving of the award.
In the women’s Ballon d’Or Feminin category, Champions League winners Barcelona have six nominees, including last year’s winner Aitana Bonmati and two-time winner Alexia Putellas. The awards ceremony to crown the world’s best player will take place on October 28 in Paris, where the winners of both the men’s and women’s awards will be revealed.
