The end of the ‘MessiCristianic’ era: the first Ballon d’Or without Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo since 2003

World football marks the end of an era with the first Golden Ball since 2003, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have not been included among the nominees.

This absence symbolises the closing of a historic chapter in which both players dominated the football scene for almost two decades. In 2003, Pavel Nedved took home the Ballon d’Or, beating Thierry Henry and Paolo Maldini, names that now seem to belong to a distant era. Since then, Messi and Cristiano have become the most iconic figures in the sport, collecting awards and redefining the limits of individual performance. Today, that era is coming to an end, marking a changing of the guard in world football.

The absence of Lionel Messi, the current Ballon d’Or holder, and Cristiano Ronaldo, who was not included in the 2023 list, is evidence of a clear change of cycle. Both players, who for two decades shared awards and records, are taking a definitive step back, leaving the way clear for a younger generation of footballers. The days when Neymar threatened to break their duopoly are long gone; now, names like Jude Bellingham (21 years old), Erling Haaland (24 years old), Vinicius Junior (24 years old) and Kylian Mbappé (25 years old) are called to take over. Even the appearance of Lamine Yamal, at just 17 years old, reflects the entry of a new order in the football firmament.

The fact that the reigning Ballon d’Or winner is left off the list of nominees the following year is surprising, but it is not the first time it has happened. Leo Messi already experienced this situation in 2022 after winning the trophy in 2021, being his only absence from the nominees since 2006. During his career, Messi has accumulated eight Ballon d’Ors, while Cristiano Ronaldo, who debuted among the best in 2004, took home five. From 2004 to 2023, Cristiano was never missing from the list of candidates, consolidating himself as one of the greatest alongside Messi.

With Messi playing in the United States and Cristiano in Saudi Arabia, both have left the European elite behind, although their legacy lives on thanks to their contributions to their national teams. The crowning of a new Ballon d’Or on October 28th not only represents a new champion, but also the beginning of a new era in world football.

The new age of world football

The transition of Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo marks the end of the ‘MessiCristian’ period and the beginning of a new era in world football. With the elite open to new figures, young talents will seek to write their own history and hold the throne for as many years as their predecessors did. The 2024 Ballon d’Or is shaping up to be the first to define this change, with a list of candidates that promises to mark the future of the king of sports.

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