Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo did not make the list of nominees for the 2025 Ballon d’Or. This surprising move stunned football fans globally. What does it mean? Has the reign of these two legends come to an end?
Being left out may send a clear message: the era of Messi and Ronaldo is over. Messi has won the Ballon d’Or a record eight times, while Cristiano has lifted the trophy five times.
According to Bolavip, Cristiano is now over 40 and still plays for Al Nassr in the Saudi Pro League. Meanwhile, Messi, at 38, is in his third season with Inter Miami in Major League Soccer. Despite their continued presence on the pitch, they failed to earn a nomination this year.
This isn’t the first time
In fact, Messi and Ronaldo were already absent from the 2024 list. That year, Manchester City’s midfielder Rodri won the award. Still, the news brings disappointment to fans in Argentina and Portugal, whose icons are no longer in contention.
Here are the 2025 Ballon d’Or nominees!#ballondor pic.twitter.com/tehmbU4R0j
— Ballon d’Or (@ballondor) August 7, 2025
The decision likely reflects how both players dominated world football for nearly two decades. It seems the football world is now making room for new stars—after all, at least one of them had always been a nominee.
Now, with both out of the race, the leading nominees for the 2025 Ballon d’Or include Raphinha and Lamine Yamal (FC Barcelona), Ousmane Dembélé (Paris Saint-Germain), and Kylian Mbappé (Real Madrid). Unfortunately, Rodri missed out due to a serious injury that sidelined him for the entire regular season.
