Messi Missing as Ballon d’Or Unveils Nominees

Argentine football superstar Lionel Messi was not among the nominees for the Ballon d’Or for the first time as the list that was revealed included Robert Lewandowski, Karim Benzema, Cristiano Ronaldo and Mohamed Salah.

France Football magazine announced on their website the 30 players vying for the prestigious award in 2022.

Also known as Golden Ball Award, the Ballon d’Or is given to the sport’s best player.

Messi, 35, a Paris Saint-Germain forward, has won the award a record seven times, including in 2021.

But the former Barcelona player was not been nominated for the award for the first time since 2005, paying a high price for an underwhelming first season with Paris Saint-Germain.

Messi, who won the title last year, had been an ever-present amongst the nominations since 2006 and a regular feature in the top three since 2007 with the exception of 2018.

A change in the format has also worked against the Argentine superstar with the Ballon d’Or no longer acknowledging the best player over a calendar year.