The nominees for the men's Ballon d'Or award were unveiled on Wednesday, marking a significant shift as neither Cristiano Ronaldo nor Lionel Messi made the cut for the first time since 2003. Among the 30 players nominated is England's rising star, Jude Bellingham.
Ronaldo, a five-time winner from Portugal, was also absent from last year's nominations. Meanwhile, Messi, who holds the record with eight Ballon d'Or wins and has been nominated 16 times, was excluded despite Argentina's triumph in the Copa America this year.
