The two names most commonly associated with the Ballon d’Or are unquestionably Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
The legendary pairing of the game have won the award a combined 13 times and comfortably reign as the two most decorated players in Ballon d’Or history. The Ballon d’Or gala celebrates and recognizes the best in the sport for their performances over the past season.
This year will mark the 69th time the Ballon d’Or is awarded. Since the award’s inception in 1956, the “Golden Ball” has only risen in prestige and significance. Simply put, the Ballon d’Or is an achievement reserved almost exclusively for all-time greats of the sport, an illustrious group arguably led by Messi and Ronaldo.
Still, as they reach the twilight of their careers, there seems to be a clear passing of the torch to usher in a new era in Ballon d’Or history. In 2025, neither Messi nor Ronaldo were nominated for the Ballon d’Or award.
Why Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo Aren’t Nominated for the 2025 Ballon d’Or
For the second year in a row, Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo were not included in the list of 30 nominees for the Ballon d’Or award.
At least one of Messi and Ronaldo had been included in the shortlist for the award since 2003. Last year marked the end of that two-decade streak.
No player outside of Europe’s top-five leagues was nominated for the 2025 Ballon d’Or—though Arsenal’s Viktor Gyökeres was nominated for his performances with Sporting CP in Portugal.
With Messi in MLS and Ronaldo in the Saudi Pro League, their chances of even being nominated were slim.
They both gave it a good shot, though, continuing to post impressive numbers late in their careers. Messi scored 30 goals and assisted another 13 in 37 appearances for Inter Miami. Ronaldo, on the other hand, bagged 35 goals in 41 games for Al Nassr and also scored three goals in Portugal’s 2025 UEFA Nations League title-charge. Nevertheless, this feats weren’t deemed enough to warrant a Ballon d’Or nomination.
Messi and Ronaldo won five Ballons d’Or each from 2008–17, dominating the award for an entire decade. The Argentine maestro would go on to win a further three in 2019, 2021 and 2023. Interestingly enough, Messi won his final Ballon d’Or when he was already playing for Inter Miami, but it was fueled by his 2022 FIFA World Cup triumph with his national team.
Although neither were nominated this year, if Portugal or Argentina win the 2026 FIFA World Cup, there’s a very real possibility that they return to the shortlist for the 70th Ballon d’Or ceremony.
READ THE LATEST ON THE BALLON D'OR 2025—NEWS, NOMINEES AND RANKINGS
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Why Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo Aren’t Nominated for the 2025 Ballon d’Or.