Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have always been the two towering figures and personalities of world football. The duo has always ruled the roost in terms of footballing prowess and have been at the forefront of footballing action.
But age is a definite factor in world football and it has getting to the two legendary figures. While Cristiano Ronaldo is 39, Lionel Messi is 37. And this is the first time since an eternity that the duo are not in the nominee list of the Ballon d’Or.
But what is the Ballon d’Or? The Ballon d’Or is an annual footballing award that is given by France Football in recognition to the footballing prowess of a footballer in that year. It is considered as one of the most prestigious awards in international football and has a lot of weightage and significance.
And for the first time since 2003, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi will not be a part of this prestigious award ceremony. This is a sign that time is flying and that the two footballers have entered the twilight of their career.
Cristiano Ronaldo made a move to Saudi Pro League club, Al-Nassr, in January 2023 after having a distasteful fall-out with the then manager of Manchester United, Erik Ten Hag. He has left an indelible imprint over there in Saudi Arabia.
On the other hand, Lionel Messi, left Barcelona in August 2021 and joined PSG. He played there for a couple of seasons with the likes of Neymar and Kylian Bpappe and then made a move to Major League Soccer (MLS)-outfit, Inter Miami, which is co-owned by former legendary English footballer, David Beckham.
Cristiano Ronaldo has received this glittering award, a total of 5 times, and Lionel Messi has won the award, a total of 8 times, which is a record. The Argentine striker had also won the award in 2023.
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