Ronaldo Misses Out on Ballon d'Or Nomination for First Time Since 2003

The Portuguese football legend Cristiano Ronaldo, who currently plays for Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia, was not nominated for the Ballon d'Or.

Lionel Messi, the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner, is back in contention for the award after being omitted from the nomination list last year. Messi, who led Argentina to the World Cup title in December, was named to the 30-man list of nominees this year, along with Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappé.

Cristiano Ronaldo, a five-time Ballon d'Or winner, was not included in the list of nominees for the award for the first time since 2003. The winner of the Ballon d'Or will be announced on October 30.

The Ballon d'Or, an annual award given to the best male footballer in the world by French news magazine France Football, was first presented in 1956. The nominees for the 2023 award were announced on Wednesday.