Cristiano was not even nominated, look at the gift of the Ballon d'Or to Lionel Messi

France Football magazine has uncovered one of the great unknowns of world football by announcing the list of 30 footballers nominated for the Ballon d'Or of the season. Among these outstanding players, the favorites to win the coveted award are Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappé and Lionel Messi, the captain of the Argentine national team and current star of Inter Miami in the United States.

Messi's legacy in football has marked an era, reflected in his constant presence on the list of the best players in the world since 2006. He has won the Ballon d'Or seven times (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019 and 2021), being a prominent figure in the football field. Throughout his career, only a few players, such as Fabio Cannavaro (2006), Kaká (2007), Cristiano Ronaldo (2008, 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2017), Luka Modric (2018) and Karim Benzema (2022), have managed to snatch the scepter from him at specific moments. However, his legacy prevails strongly.

Last season, at the age of 36, Messi had an extraordinary performance by scoring 38 goals and providing 25 assists for both his national team and Paris Saint Germain. He conquered Ligue 1, being the top assister of the tournament, and established himself as the great figure of the Albiceleste by taking them to the third star and lifting the World Cup in Qatar 2022.

The Ballon d'Or, which will be awarded on Monday, October 30 at the Châtelet Theater in Paris, places Messi as one of the main contenders. In addition to the men's Ballon d'Or, France Football has also announced the candidates for other awards, including best young player (Kopa Trophy), best goalkeeper (Yachine Trophy) and women's Ballon d'Or.

The video to announce Messi as a candidate

For this nomination, Lionel Messi had a special video from the Ballon d'Or organization announcing his candidacy for this new edition, where Cristiano Ronaldo, for the first time in his career, is left out and therefore looks askance at this new one. gala to meet the best player of 2023.