Ballon d’Or 2024: When was the last time neither Lionel Messi nor Cristiano Ronaldo won the award?
After being nominated for the first time in 2006, Messi won the prestigious award a record eight times while Ronaldo, first nominated in 2004, has won it five times.
Published : Oct 28, 2024 12:00 IST , Chennai - 1 MIN READ
It is the first time since 2003 that neither Lionel Messi nor Cristiano Ronaldo has been nominated for the prestigious award. | Photo Credit: AP
The Ballon d’Or 2024 is set to be presented at a gala ceremony in Paris on Monday, with a winner to be chosen from a nominee list that does not include Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
It is the first time since 2003 that neither of them have been nominated for the prestigious award.
After being nominated for the first time in 2006, Messi won the prestigious award a record eight times, the most recent one coming in 2023, following his FIFA World Cup 2022 triumph with Argentina in Qatar.
Ronaldo, on the other hand, was nominated for the first time in 2004 and has won the award five times, last in 2017.
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The last time neither of them did not win was in 2022 when Karim Benzema was named the recipient of the award for his performance for club and country.
Benzema beat Sadio Mane to the prize, with Kevin De Bruyne completing the podium and Robert Lewandowski coming fourth. Messi was not nominated for the while Ronaldo finished 20th
Benzema scored 44 goals in 46 games across all competitions in the 2021-22 season for Real Madrid and won the Champions League and La Liga.
The Frenchman currently plays for Saudi Pro League side Al-Ittihad and has scored eight goals in nine matches in all competitions.