For only the third time in the last 15 years, a player not named Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi will be awarded the most coveted individual award in football, the Ballon d’Or. It is the first instance that the two greatest players of their generation have not been named in the 30-man shortlist since 2003. The decision came at the beginning of the takeover by the new era of footballers. France Football released the accomplished list on Wednesday, creating several talking points and discussions.
This year the UEFA Awards have also been merged with the Ballon d’Or and the top performers in the last season’s UEFA competitions will be awarded on October 28, 2024. A new Ballon d’Or winner is guaranteed with no previous holders in the nominees. Vinicius Jr. is the overwhelming favourite to lift the award but is contested in a tight race by media outlets with Manchester City’s Rodri.
Several notable omissions from the 30-man shortlist
Along with the multiple debatable inclusions, there were arguments against the surprising exclusion of deserving candidates. Perhaps, the most notable of these was Rodrygo, who lifted the La Liga and Champions League double with Real Madrid as a starting striker with Vinicius Jr. He accumulated 17 goals and nine assists during the 2023/24 season but was overlooked by the decision-making authorities.
Other significant absentees were Kevin De Bruyne, Mohamed Salah, Antoine Griezmann, and Bernardo Silva. The Belgian has missed out on the shortlist for the first time since joining Manchester City in 2015. Salah had 25 goals and 14 assists last season, which is a greater number than most of the nominees managed in 2023/24. Fans of these players were vocal about their thoughts on social media following the announcement.
Also Read: Top 5 contenders to win the Ballon d’Or in 2024
Real Madrid and England lead the way among clubs and countries respectively
It was no surprise to see Real Madrid dominate the list amongst the clubs, having won the UEFA Champions League in June at Wembley. The Los Blancos had seven nominees, three more than Arsenal and Manchester City, both having four each. As far as the leagues are concerned, the Premier League is the undisputed number one with 10 athletes on the privileged list. Kylian Mbappe, Dani Olmo, Artem Dovbyk, and Mats Hummels are the only names who switched their allegiances during the summer.
Six English players made the list. European champions, Spain, also saw six of its very own reaching the 30-man shortlist. The likes of Brazil, Turkey, Nigeria, Ukraine, Switzerland, and Uruguay had only one each. The 2024 Euro hosts, Germany was represented by four footballers, after a successful overall campaign for German clubs and players.
Full list of the 30 Ballon d’Or 2024 nominees
| Player Name | Current Club | National Team |
| Lamine Yamal | FC Barcelona | Spain |
| Hakan Calhanoglu | Inter Milan | Turkey |
| Declan Rice | Arsenal | England |
| Artem Dovbyk | Roma | Ukraine |
| Alejandro Grimaldo | Bayer Leverkusen | Spain |
| Federico Valverde | Real Madrid | Uruguay |
| Cole Palmer | Chelsea | England |
| Mats Hummels | Borussia Dortmund | Germany |
| Toni Kroos | Real Madrid | Germany |
| William Saliba | Arsenal | France |
| Vinicius Junior | Real Madrid | Brazil |
| Nico Williams | Athletic Club | Spain |
| Bukayo Saka | Arsenal | England |
| Lautaro Martinez | Inter Milan | Argentina |
| Ruben Dias | Manchester City | Portugal |
| Dani Carvajal | Real Madrid | Spain |
| Granit Xhaka | Bayer Leverkusen | Switzerland |
| Erling Haaland | Manchester City | Norway |
| Martin Odegaard | Manchester City | Norway |
| Ademola Lookman | Atalanta | Nigeria |
| Jude Bellingham | Real Madrid | England |
| Vitinha | PSG | Portugal |
| Antonio Rudiger | Real Madrid | Germany |
| Phil Foden | Manchester City | England |
| Florian Wirtz | Bayer Leverkusen | Germany |
| Harry Kane | Bayern Munich | England |
| Dani Olmo | FC Barcelona | Spain |
| Emiliano Martinez | Aston Villa | Argentina |
| Kylian Mbappe | Real Madrid | France |
| Rodri | Manchester City | Spain |