Lionel Messi and Neymar
Odds on favorite, Karim Benzema and his former teammate, Cristiano Ronaldo have been nominated for the 2022 Ballon d’Or, but there is no place on the shortlist for Paris Saint-Germain duo Lionel Messi and Neymar.
Messi has won the award a record seven times more than any other player in history but does not make the list for the first time since 2005.
The Ballon D’or organizers say the winners of the awards will be announced at a glitzy ceremony in Paris on October 17.
Messi did not make the list despite scoring 11 goals in 34 matches for Paris Saint-Germain last season.
His team-mate Neymar is also not on the list. He played just 28 times for PSG last season in an injury-hit campaign. Also, remarkably, Kylian Mbappe did not make the list.
Five-time Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo is on the list after scoring 18 goals in 31 matches for Manchester United last season.
The favourite for the 2022 Ballon d’Or, Karim Benzema’s 44 goals powered Carlo Ancelotti’s Real Madrid side to La Liga and Champions League triumph last season.
Following Real Madrid’s Super Cup win over Eintracht Frankfurt on Wednesday night, Benzema suggested he was able to take his game to another level after Cristiano Ronaldo left the Liga club.
Last season’s Premier League joint top goal scorer, Mohamed Salah is included, after also providing the most assists last season, despite Liverpool falling just short of the title. He is joined by team-mates Virgil van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Luis Diaz, Fabinho and Darwin Nunez. Harry Kane and Heung-Min Son are Tottenham’s representatives.
See full list of nominees below…
Thibaut Courtois (Real Madird)
Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
Rafael Leao (AC Milan)
Christopher Nkunku (RB Leipzig)
Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich)
Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool)
Vinicius Jr (Real Madrid)
Bernardo Silva (Manchester City)
Luis Diaz (Liverpool)
Robert Lewandowski (Barcelona)
Riyad Mahrez (Manchester City)
Casemiro (Real Madrid)
Heung-Min Son (Tottenham)
Fabinho (Liverpool)
Karim Benzema (Real Madrid)
Mike Maignan (AC Milan)
Harry Kane (Tottenham)
Darwin Nunez (Liverpool)
Phil Foden (Manchester City)
Sadio Mane (Bayern Munich)
Sebastien Haller (Borussia Dortmund)
Luka Modric (Real Madrid)
Antonio Rudiger (Real Madrid)
Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)
Kevin de Bruyne (Manchester City)
Dusan Vlahovic (Juventus)
Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)
Joao Cancelo (Manchester City)
Erling Haaland (Manchester City)
Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain)
