Nigeria’s Ademola Lookman Named to 2024 Ballon d’Or Shortlist as Messi and Ronaldo Miss Out After Years of Dominance

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, who have long dominated the Ballon d’Or, are notably absent from this year’s nominations. This is the first time since 2003 that both players have missed out on the prestigious 30-man shortlist.

Messi and Ronaldo have been fixtures in the Ballon d’Or race for years, with Messi holding the record for the most wins at eight and Ronaldo having claimed the award five times.

The exclusion of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo from this year’s Ballon d’Or nominations signifies a major shift in the world of soccer. For the first time since 2003, neither of these footballing legends has made it onto the prestigious 30-man shortlist, opening the door for emerging stars to take the spotlight.

Newly emerging talents such as Kylian Mbappé, Erling Haaland, Jude Bellingham, and Vinicius Junior are now in the limelight, reflecting a changing era in football.

Nigerian forward Ademola Lookman has earned a well-deserved spot on this year’s Ballon d’Or list, thanks to his outstanding performance over the past year, which included a memorable hat-trick in the UEFA Cup final against Bayer Leverkusen.

Other notable nominees include teenage sensation Lamine Yamal and Aitana Bonmati, the reigning women’s Ballon d’Or champion, who has received a consecutive nomination. Additionally, American players Sophia Smith, Mallory Swanson, and Lindsey Horan have been recognized on the women’s shortlist.

Here are the 2024 Ballon d’Or 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