It's a big blow in world football. Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have not been nominated for the Ballon d'Or for the first time since 2003. CR7 is currently busy playing for Saudi club Al Nassr. Lionel Messi is playing for Inter Miami in the United States. Both footballers have not shined in the national team jersey in the last year.

Argentine superstar Lionel Messi was injured in the Copa America. Before him, success in the national team meant winning the 2022 World Cup; he won the Ballon d'Or award as expected in 2022. 

Cristiano Ronaldo's time has been bad since that World Cup. At that time, he was involved in trouble with Fernando Santos as well as with Erik ten Hag at Manchester United. After that, he did not see such a good performance in this year's Euro Cup. The Portuguese star could not score in a match. He even wasted a penalty. Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have been left out of the Ballon d'Or nomination list for the first time in 21 years.

Several members of Spain's Euro Cup-winning team have been nominated for the award. The list includes 17-year-old Spanish star Lamine Yamal. Dani Carvajal, Olmo, Rodri, and Nico Williams are also on the list. Seven Real Madrid players have been nominated for the Ballon d'Or. 

In addition to Real Madrid's Brazilian star Vinicius Junior, the list includes Kylian Mbappe, who recently joined the team from PSG, and England midfielder Jude Bellingham. England's Bukayo Saka, Harry Kane, Phil Foden, and Declan Rice are among the six others who have been nominated for the Ballon d'Or. Two-time Ballon d'Or winner Alexia Putellas has been nominated in the women's category. The Ballon d'Or awards ceremony will be held in Paris on October 28 this year. The exclusion of the Portuguese and Argentine superstars from this list means one thing: now the football world has started looking at their next generation.