Ballon D’Or Awards have sparked significant discourse in the realm of football, particularly due to the conspicuous absence of Lionel Messi from the nominee list. Messi, widely regarded as one of the greatest players in football history, has repeatedly been a front-runner for this prestigious accolade. His omission raises questions regarding criteria for selection and the evolving dynamics within professional football (Smith, 2023). The absence of such a prominent figure not only alters the narrative surrounding this year’s awards but also highlights the shifting paradigms within elite global football.
Presented annually by France Football since 1956, the Ballon d'Or is the most distinguished accolade a footballer can receive in recognition of their outstanding achievements and exceptional talent.
Kopa Trophy (best player under 21 years of age), Yashin Trophy (best goalkeeper), Gerd Müller Trophy (top scorer of the previous season), Men’s Club of the Year Trophy and Women’s Club of the Year Trophy. Two new trophies have been added to the list of prizes: Men’s Coach of the Year and Women’s Coach of the Year, recognising the invaluable contribution of coaches to success on the pitch.
Jude Bellingham, Dani Carvajal, Toni Kroos, Antonio Ruediger and Fede Valverde are the others, while Kylian Mbappe -- who left Paris Saint-Germain for Real over the close season -- features too.
Carvajal is among the contenders from the victorious Spain team alongside Alejandro Grimaldo, Dani Olmo, Rodri, Nico Williams and Lamine Yamal.
Manchester City's Norwegian star Erling Haaland and England and Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane are on the list as well, but there is no place for five-time winner Cristiano Ronaldo, now 39.
Ballon d'or 2024 nominees
- Jude Bellingham - Real Madrid/England
- Ruben Dias - Man City/Portugal
- Phil Foden - Man City/England
- Federico Valverde - Real Madrid/Uruguay
- Emiliano Martinez - Aston Villa/Argentina
- Erling Haaland - Man City/Norway
- Nico Williams - Athletic Club/Spain
- Granit Xhaka - Bayer Leverkusen/Switzerland
- Artem Dovbyk - Girona/Roma/Ukraine
- Toni Kroos - Real Madrid/Germany
- Vinicius Junior - Real Madrid/Brazil
- Dani Olmo - RB Leipzig/Barcelona/Spain
- Florian Wirtz - Bayer Leverkusen/Germany
- Martin Odegaard - Arsenal/Norway
- Mats Hummels - Borussia Dortmund/Roma/Germany
- Rodri - Man City/Spain
- Harry Kane - Bayern Munich/England
- Declan Rice- Arsenal/England
- Vitinha - PSG/Portugal
- Cole Palmer - Chelsea/England
- Dani Carvajal - Real Madrid/Spain
- Lamine Yamal - Barcelona/Spain
- Bukayo Saka - Arsenal/England
- Hakan Calhanoglu - Inter/Turkey
- William Saliba - Arsenal/France
- Kylian Mbappe - PSG/Real Madrid/France
- Lautaro Martinez - Inter/Argentina
- Ademola Lookman - Atalanta/Nigeria
- Antonio Rudiger - Real Madrid/Germany
- Alejandro Grimaldo - Bayer Leverkusen/Spain
Former winners Alexia Putellas  and Ada Hegerberg  are also nominated, along with five members of the United States' Olympic gold medal-winning team in Sophia Smith, Mallory Swanson, Lindsey Horan, Trinity Rodman,  and goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher.
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