The Golden Ball Award is no longer a playground for Ronaldo and Messi

For the second year in a row, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo were not nominated for the Ballon d'Or award.

Messi and Ronaldo are both absent from the nomination list.

France Football magazine announced the list of 30 candidates for the 2025 Ballon d'Or award on August 7. Notably absent were two of the world's top stars, Ronaldo and Messi.

The last time either of these two superstars won the Ballon d'Or was in 2023, when Messi lifted the prestigious individual award for the eighth time. M10 is also the person with the most awards in history, 3 more than Ronaldo. Meanwhile, Ronaldo last won the title in 2017.

Ronaldo and Messi have one thing in common: they are no longer playing in Europe. At 38, Messi is in his second year playing for Inter Miami in the MLS. Meanwhile, Ronaldo is 40 but continues to play and score in the Saudi Pro League for Al Nassr.

In 2024, both Messi and Ronaldo were also removed from the Ballon d'Or nomination list. The fact that these two superstars will continue to be excluded from the nomination list this year has been predicted by experts.

During the period 2004 to 2024, at least one of these two superstars was always on the nomination list, helping them maintain their position in world football for the past two decades.

Messi and Ronaldo have to give way to their juniors.

In the post-Messi and Ronaldo era, new players are starting to make a splash. Names like Barcelona's Raphinha and Lamine Yamal, Paris Saint-Germain's Ousmane Dembele, and Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe are among the leading contenders for the award.

Rodri, the 2024 Ballon d'Or winner, will not be able to defend his title due to a long-term injury that will keep him out for almost the entire season.

According to Opta , Dembele is the number one candidate for the 2025 Ballon d'Or. However, The Times commented that the competition for the 2025 Ballon d'Or is the most unpredictable in the past 30 years.

Ronaldo competes with Felix for a goal Cristiano Ronaldo and Joao Felix had a misunderstanding in Al Nassr's 2-1 victory over Toulouse on the night of July 30.

Source: https://znews.vn/giai-qua-bong-vang-khong-con-la-san-choi-cua-ronaldo-messi-post1575062.html