End of an era: Barcelona & Real Madrid legends Messi & Ronaldo left off Ballon d’Or shortlist | OneFootball

Two of the most iconic figures in the storied history of Spanish football’s two biggest clubs have been left off the shortlist for the 2024 Ballon d’Or.

The pair in question? Lionel Messi, and Cristiano Ronaldo.

The ‘Golden Ball’, awarded to the standout player in world football for the prior 12 months, has of course long been dominated by two players.

In fact, of the last 15 editions of the prize to be handed out, one of Messi (8) or Ronaldo (5) have emerged triumphant.

Safe to say, then, that it marked the end of something of an era when, upon the list of candidates for the 2024 award being unveiled, neither of the Barcelona or Real Madrid legends were anywhere to be seen.

As revealed by Fabrizio Romano, this marks the first time since all the way back in 2003 that neither Ronaldo or Messi have been in the running to be crowned world football’s best player.

The full list of candidates for the Ballon d’Or, featuring seven Real Madrid stars and two Barcelona, is showcased below:

Conor Laird | GSFN