Ballon d'Or 2024: Fans Unhappy After 3 World Class Stars Were Snubbed

• The nominees for the 2024 edition of the Ballon d'Or nominees have been announced by France Football
• Several world-class players like Mohamed Salah, and Kevin De Bruyne have missed out on the Ballon d'Or nominees
• For the first time in 21 years, neither Cristiano Ronaldo nor Lionel Messi has been nominated for the award

The 2024 Ballon d'Or nominees have been officially announced, with a few world-class players surprisingly missing out.

Last year, Lionel Messi claimed his eighth Ballon d'Or after leading Argentina to their third World Cup victory in Qatar.

For just the second time in history, the Ballon d'Or was judged based on the season from August to July rather than the calendar year.

Despite his Copa America victory this summer, Messi, now with Inter Miami, didn’t make the cut for the 2024 award.

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His long-time rival Cristiano Ronaldo was also omitted, despite netting 44 goals in all competitions for Al-Nassr last season.

This marks the first time since 2003 that neither Ronaldo nor Messi has been nominated for the Ballon d'Or, per ESPN.

Salah, De Bruyne and Musiala snubbed

Manchester City's Kevin De Bruyne is a surprising omission despite being instrumental in securing the club's historic fourth consecutive Premier League title last season.

Other notable exclusions include Bayern Munich's Jamal Musiala and Liverpool's Mohamed Salah.

The exclusion of the aforementioned trio led fans to express their frustration on social media.

@KevRole posted:

"No Kevin De Bruyne is an absolute disgrace.'

@Niinjie said:

"Ballon dor is just PR, Salah should def be in there, Odegaard was way better the season before compared to last season."

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@ahmedeaah commented:

"Salah not in the top 30 ballon dor list is criminal."

@utdfame added:

"Musiala not even in the 30, it’s already a flawed list."

@madasbambi mentioned:·

"Jamal Musiala always betrayed by the annual football event."

Vinicius, Bellingham and Rodri lead the pack

Real Madrid stars Vinicius Jr and Jude Bellingham are among the frontrunners for the award, thanks to their key roles in the club's La Liga and Champions League successes last season.

Manchester City's Rodri is also a top contender, having played a pivotal role in the club's Premier League dominance and leading Spain to victory at Euro 2024 in Germany.

Vinicius Junior backed to win 2024 Ballon d'Or

Relatedly, YEN.com.gh reported that Karim Benzema has voiced his support for Vinicius Junior to win the 2024 Ballon d'Or.

Benzema's backing follows Vinicius' outstanding performances last season, which have positioned him as a strong contender for the accolade.

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When Cristiano Ronaldo sensationally claimed that Ballon d'Or is 'losing credibility'

Benzema believes that Vinicius could be the rightful heir to the throne, potentially overtaking Lionel Messi as the world's best player.

Source: YEN.com.gh