Lionel Messi is the reigning Ballon d’Or holder with the Inter Miami attacker winning the award a record eight times in his career.
The most prestigious individual honor in all of soccer, the Ballon d’Or contest in the last 15 years has been something of a showdown between Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, with the two attacking legends often going blow-for-blow for the award.
With Messi and Ronaldo in the twilight of their careers, though, there’s a real chance that the Inter Miami star’s win last year will be the last time we see either forward claim the Ballon d’Or given their ages and which clubs they play for.
And Messi has today broken an incredible 21-year streak with the Ballon d’Or.
Messi not nominated for the Ballon d’Or for the first time since 2003
As per the Ballon d’Or’s official 30-man shortlist for this year’s award, Messi has not been nominated for the award for the first time since 2003, with Ronaldo also not named on the list.
Although Messi captained Argentina to the Copa America with Inter Miami leading the Supporters’ Shield race and qualifying for the MLS play-offs, the 37-year-old has spent the majority of the year out injured.
Indeed, Messi has made just 12 league appearances for Inter Miami with the attacker not playing for his club since the beginning of June, with the veteran injuring his ankle in the Copa America final.
The Ballon d’Or ceremony will certainly be weird without Messi this year, yet given the season the Inter Miami captain has had, there’s a good reason why the forward hasn’t been shortlisted for the award.
Soccer is officially in a new era with no Messi
Messi is the greatest to ever play the game, with the Inter Miami attacker holding records that no player is unlikely to come close to in the next 100 years of the sport.
And with Messi not named in the Ballon d’Or shortlist, this moment could signify the changing of the guard in soccer where the Argentine is no longer considered the best current player on the planet.
It’s something that’s been coming for a while, yet at 37-years-old and suffering with fitness issues, it’s no real surprise that this is where Messi now finds himself.