Home Football For the first time in twenty-one years, Jude Bellingham, Kylian Mbappe, and Cole Palmer are included on the Ballon d’Or list instead of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

For the first time in twenty-one years, Jude Bellingham, Kylian Mbappe, and Cole Palmer are included on the Ballon d’Or list instead of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Football — 09/05/2024

Real Madrid stars Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappé have been nominated for the 2024 Ballon d’Or, alongside NWSL standout Sophia Smith, who is a contender for the Ballon d’Or Féminin.

The nominees for both the men’s and women’s awards were revealed on Wednesday. This is Mbappé’s seventh nomination for the prestigious accolade; he finished third in last year’s voting, which was ultimately won by Lionel Messi.Kylian Mbappe is the GOAT on X: "Let's be honest. The Ballon d'Or is a voting PR award where marketing PR is far more important than actual performances on the pitch Once

Sophia Smith is among five members of the U.S. women’s national team nominated for the award. She is joined by Olympic gold medalists Mallory Swanson, Trinity Rodman, Alyssa Naeher, and Lindsey Horan.

Jude Bellingham wins Kopa Trophy at Ballon d'Or ceremony

The Ballon d’Or considers performances from August 1, 2023, to July 31, 2024. The winners will be announced on October 28 in Paris. Notably, Messi, who has won the trophy a record eight times, and Cristiano Ronaldo, who has won it five times, were not nominated this year, marking the first time in 21 years they are absent from the list.PSG star Kylian Mbappe booed as he arrives for Ballon d'Or ceremony in Paris | Football | Sport | Express.co.uk

Vinicius Junior played a crucial role in Real Madrid’s success, contributing to their victories in La Liga, the Champions League, and the Supercopa de España during the 2023-24 season. He has expressed his admiration for Brazilian football icons like Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Marta, Rivaldo, and Kaká, and aims to add his name to the Ballon d’Or winners list.Ballon d'Or 2021 : Mbappé termine 9e, Benzema 4e, Kanté 5e

Mbappé, who recently signed with Real Madrid, expressed that “there is no better place to win titles” than his new club. He will, however, have one last chance to claim the Ballon d’Or during his final season with Paris Saint-Germain, where he played a key role in securing the Ligue 1 title.

Jude Bellingham, another Real Madrid player, is also in contention. He was instrumental in the club’s Champions League triumph and in leading England to the Euro 2024 final.May be an image of 2 people, people playing football, people playing American football and text that says "Fabrizio Romano @FabrizioRomano 9m OFFICIAL: Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi, out of the Ballon d'Or nominees for the first time since 2003."

Competing against these Real Madrid stars is Manchester City’s Rodri, who was pivotal in City’s Premier League win and Spain’s victory over England in the Euro final.

On the women’s side, Aitana Bonmati, who won the award in 2023, has again been nominated after helping Barcelona secure the Champions League. She is among five Spanish players nominated, including Mariona Caldentey, Patricia Guijarro, Salma Paralluelo, and Alexia Putellas, all of whom contributed to Spain’s 2023 World Cup victory

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Bonmati will defend her title against strong competition from American stars like Sophia Smith, who was a finalist for the 2023 NWSL MVP award and played a significant role in the U.S. Olympic and Concacaf W Gold Cup victories. Smith hopes to become the first USWNT player to win the Ballon d’Or Féminin since Megan Rapinoe in 2019.