France Football: There is no debate about Messi missing out on the Ballon d'Or nomination

List isFrance Footballannounced on the morning of September 5, Hanoi time, many famous players such as Mohamed Salah, Kevin de Bruyne, Karim Benzema, Robert Lewandowski, Antoine Griezmann, Neymar or Luka Modric are absent. Young players on the rise such as Jamal Musiala, Rodrygo or Julian Alvarez may also be disappointed for not being nominated. However, the focus of attention is that for the first time since 2003, neither Messi nor Ronaldo are on the shortlist.

In an interview withL'EquipeImmediately after the nominations were announced, Garcia was asked about the two superstars who have won a combined 13 Ballons d'Or. "There is no question about Messi's absence," he said. "It makes sense, because he and Ronaldo are no longer in the top 30 players in the world."

The 30 nominees all play in Europe's top five leagues, while Ronaldo and Messi play in Saudi Arabia and the United States, respectively. Last year, Messi, who also plays for Inter Miami, won his eighth Ballon d'Or thanks to his 2022 World Cup win with Argentina. He was crowned with Argentina in the 2024 Copa America, but did not have as much of an impact as he did in the previous World Cup.

Salah's absence is also a question for Garcia, but he says that case is less controversial.

The magazine's editor-in-chief, of course, did not predict which player would win the award. But he revealed that if the Ballon d'Or only counted achievements up to December 2023, Jude Bellingham would win the award after a brilliant first half of the season with Real Madrid.

The 2024 Golden Ball will be based on achievements from August 1, 2023 to July 31, 2024, based on three factors: individual performance, team performance and class. 30 players are selected by the professional council.France Footballselected, to be scored by 100 journalists from countries with teams in the top 100 FIFA. Each journalist will select 5 players, with scores of 6, 4, 3, 2 and 1 respectively. The player receiving the highest total score will win the Golden Ball.

Vinicius Junior is the favourite to win the award, having played a major role in Real Madrid's La Liga and Champions League triumphs. Midfielder Rodri is the second favourite, having helped Man City win a record four consecutive Premier League titles and helped Spain win Euro 2024.

The 2024 Ballon d'Or award ceremony will take place at the Chatelet Theater in Paris, France on October 28, 2024.