Lionel Messi was not shortlisted for the Ballon d'Or award for the first time since 2005, with Cristiano Ronaldo nominated for a record 18th time.

Lionel Messi was not shortlisted for the Ballon d'Or award for the first time since 2005, with Cristiano Ronaldo nominated for a record 18th time.

Lionel Messi was not shortlisted for the Ballon d'Or award for the first time since 2005, with Cristiano Ronaldo nominated for a record 18th time.

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Messi, the reigning seven-time winner, remains out, as does his Paris Saint-Germain teammate Neymar. But one of the great footballers and Messi and Manchester United's arch-rival forward Cristiano Ronaldo is nominated.

In big news for Lionel Messi fans, the star footballer is not among the players in the running to win the prestigious Ballon d'Or trophy, France Football organizers revealed on Friday (August 12th). Meanwhile, Real Madrid forward Karim Benzema is among the 30 nominees shortlisted for the prestigious men's Ballon d'Or trophy. The France international has had an incredible season for Real Madrid, scoring 44 goals in 46 games and helping them win the Champions League and La Liga.

Messi, the reigning seven-time winner, remains out, as does his Paris Saint-Germain teammate Neymar. But one of the great footballers and Messi and Manchester United's arch-rival Cristiano Ronaldo is nominated. It is also the 18th time Ronaldo has been nominated for the award and a record 17th in a row. Manchester City striker Erling Haaland also made the cut - he has just joined the club from Borussia Dortmund - and last season's joint Premier League top scorer Liverpool's Mohamed Salah.

Among the 20 players on the shortlist for the women's Ballon d'Or are Lyon's Ada Hegerberg, who won the inaugural award in 2018, and Barcelona's Alexia Potelis. Arsenal striker Beth Meade, who won the European Championship with hosts England last month and was named player of the tournament, has also been named. The award for the best player in the world will be given on October 17. The trophy will now be awarded based on the August to July regular season instead of the calendar year.

Lionel Messi, who now plays for PSG, has won the Ballon d'Or a record seven times, followed by Cristiano Ronaldo on five. The other 3 players who have won the award three times are Johan Cruyff, Michel Platini, and Marco van Basten.