Lionel Messi has been omitted from the Ballon d'Or shortlist for the first time since 2005, marking a significant shift in football's elite. The 30-man list, announced on Friday, features seven players from Manchester United and Liverpool, alongside other Premier League stars.
Cristiano Ronaldo is included despite Manchester United's poor 2021-22 campaign, having scored 24 goals across all competitions. Liverpool have six nominees: Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk, Darwin Nunez, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Fabinho, and Luis Diaz.
Messi, an eight-time winner, endured a subdued first season at Paris Saint-Germain, scoring only six Ligue 1 goals and 11 in total. He did provide 15 assists as PSG won the French title. The Argentine controversially won his seventh Ballon d'Or last year, ahead of Robert Lewandowski.
Manchester City have six nominees, including new signing Erling Haaland, who impressed at Borussia Dortmund. Phil Foden is one of only two English players on the list, alongside Alexander-Arnold and Harry Kane. Other notable nominees include Karim Benzema, Kylian Mbappe, and Sadio Mane.
