The 30 nominees for the 2022 Ballon d’Or were revealed by France Football on Friday evening. Among those on the shortlist include Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, Mohamed Salah and Kylian Mbappe. However, Lionel Messi failed to make the nomination list for the first time since 2005.
For the first time since 2005, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) striker and former Barcelona legend Lionel Messi was not included in the Ballon d'Or 2022 nominations. Thirty names were on this year's shortlist, which France Football unveiled on Friday. However, the Argentine superstar's lacklustre debut campaign with the French giants did not qualify him for the list.
The 35-year-old moved to Paris last summer after Barcelona's well-publicized financial issues prevented them from registering Messi's agreed-upon new deal. He still racked up the assists, but he only scored 11 goals overall, including just six in Ligue 1.
After 13 consecutive seasons of scoring at least 30 goals for the Catalan club, the 2021-22 campaign was Messi's lowest single-season goal tally since 2005-06, which was his first year with the Barcelona first team.
The Argentine talisman missed out on being nominated for Ballon d'Or in 2005 when he had just turned 18 and had only been a first-team player for a few months. In 2020, the awards ceremony was not held due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Messi's chances of receiving a nomination in 2022 were harmed by his poor club performance and the scarcity of crucial international football. His contribution to Argentina's Copa America victory was a significant foundation for his most recent Ballon d'Or victory in 2021.
Messi continues to hold the record for winning the Ballon d'Or. 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019 and 2021. Johan Cruyff, Michel Platini, and Marco van Basten shared the previous record for the most victories with three, which he matched in 2011 and has since long since surpassed. Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo, nominated for this year's awards, has bagged the prestigious trophy five times.
Also read: Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi? Bayern Munich legend Manuel Neuer picks his choice
Here are the nominees for the 2022 Ballon d’Or! ✨ pic.twitter.com/eodgwNzBwt
— Ballon d'Or #ballondor (@francefootball)Here's a look at the 30 footballers nominated for the 2022 Ballon d'Or awards, result of which will be announced on October 17:
1. Trent Alexander-Arnold - Liverpool, England
2. Karim Benzema - Real Madrid, France
3. Joao Cancelo - Manchester City, Portugal
4. Casemiro - Real Madrid, Brazil
5. Thibaut Courtois - Real Madrid, Belgium
6. Cristiano Ronaldo - Manchester United, Portugal
7. Kevin De Bruyne - Manchester City, Belgium
8. Luis Diaz - Porto/Liverpool, Colombia
9. Fabinho - Liverpool, Brazil
10. Phil Foden - Manchester City, England
11. Erling Haaland - Borussia Dortmund/Manchester City, Norway
12. Sebastien Haller - Ajax/Borussia Dortmund, Ivory Coast
13. Harry Kane - Tottenham Hotspur, England
14. Joshua Kimmich - Bayern Munich, Germany
15. Rafael Leao - AC Milan, Portugal
16. Robert Lewandowski - Bayern Munich/Barcelona, Poland
17. Riyad Mahrez - Manchester City, Algeria
18. Mike Maignan - AC Milan, France
19. Sadio Mane - Liverpool, Senegal
20. Kylian Mbappe - Paris Saint-Germain, France
21. Luka Modric - Real Madrid, Croatia
22. Christopher Nkunku - RB Leipzig, France
23. Darwin Nunez - Benfica/Liverpool, Uruguay
24. Antonio Rudiger - Chelsea/Real Madrid, Germany
25. Mohamed Salah - Liverpool, Egypt
26. Bernardo Silva - Manchester City, Portugal
27. Son Heung-min - Tottenham Hotspur, South Korea
28. Virgil van Dijk - Liverpool, Netherlands
29. Vinicius Junior - Real Madrid, Brazil
30. Dusan Vlahovic - Fiorentina/Juventus, Serbia
Meanwhile, Ronaldo fans took to Twitter to troll Messi after the legendary striker failed to make the nominations. Here's a look at some of the reactions:
Messi not nominated for Ballon d'Or 2022 pic.twitter.com/1RCA9UeEGu
— Troll Football (@TrollFootball)Ballon d’Or rankings:
Cristiano Ronaldo in his first year at Juventus: 3rd Place.
Lionel Messi in his first year at PSG superteam: Not even top 30
Never a debate. pic.twitter.com/QoKkIztXJT
38 year old Ronaldo making the Ballon D'or shortlist
But 34 year old Messi can't make it
The GOAT debate is over!! pic.twitter.com/QrydwtraSd
Phenomenal that Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are well in their 30's and still getting Ballon D'or Nomina... oh yeah, nevermind
— Trey (@UTDTrey)35 Year old Ronaldo was Top 2 in Ballon d'Or 2020 Power Rankings.
Messi at the age of 35 isn't even Top 30 Nominees for ballon dor.
😭😭😭😭
messi fans who slandered ronaldo for finishing third in ballon d'or after his first juventus season, are now trying to cover up messi's no nomination after his first psg season pic.twitter.com/P7GPGWmjaa
— ⚡ (@UTDCJ_)Cristiano Ronaldo nominated for the Ballon d'Or for a record of 18th year in a row. 🔥
Meanwhile Messi is out of the list!
The Goat debate is over! pic.twitter.com/LaWGw76fIX
Most Ballon d'or : Messi 🇦🇷
Most Ballon d'or nominations, Ballon d'or points, Ballon d'or top3 : Cristiano Ronaldo 🇵🇹
Messi ranked about Cristiano 7 times but Cristiano Ronaldo ranked above Messi 11 times 🐐 pic.twitter.com/M2hHoo8H02
Lionel Messi failing to make the Ballon d'Or Top 30 at 35, while Cristiano Ronaldo makes it at 37 years of age playing for the worst Manchester United side in ages.
Extraordinary. Timeless. Special. 🐐 ❤️ pic.twitter.com/lugyzmyjoK
Cristiano Ronaldo at 37 making it to the Ballon d'or shortlist while Messi at 34 not even in the top 30 while playing in the farmers league
Football truly won today 🐐 pic.twitter.com/6v7IIp4Jlr
Cristiano Ronaldo was criticised for finishing 3rd in the Ballon d'Or rankings after joining Juventus at 34
Meanwhile Lionel Messi at 34 didn't even make the nominations after Leaving Barcelona for PSG pic.twitter.com/NP50EsQZNI
Ronaldo fans celebrating Messi not being nominated for Ballon d'or? Who needs a nomination when you already have the most? pic.twitter.com/pSRgOEk9hf
— Pa1's ✍️ (@Pa1ista)Finished Ronaldo got nominated for Ballon d'or while current Ballon D'or holder Messi isn't even Nominated for the award 🥲🐐 pic.twitter.com/aN3QdHtKKZ
— Cr17xe (@cr17xe)37 year old "Finished" Cristiano Ronaldo is in the Ballon d'or nominations
34 year old "Best player in the world" Messi can't even make it to top 30
The GOAT debate is over !! pic.twitter.com/EAAXdIUFhu
Lionel Messi is not even in the Ballon d'Or top 30.
But “Cristiano Ronaldo is finished”. 🤣 😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/JgA3xVGjlR