Messi misses out of 30-man Ballon d’Or shortlist for first time since 2005

Lionel Messi has been left off the Ballon d’Or shortlist as the Paris Saint-Germain star was not named among France Football’s 30-man shortlist on Friday.

Messi has not been left off of a Ballon d’Or shortlist since 2005, having won the award seven times during that span.

His team-mate Neymar was also among those to not make the list, while the Argentine’s former La Liga rival Cristiano Ronaldo did make the list.

Messi’s performance

Playing in his first-ever season away from Barcelona, Messi did not meet his own lofty standards when it comes to goals during his debut season at PSG.

He did, however, provide plenty assists, as he set up 14 goals in addition to the 11 he scored in his first season in France, one which ended with a Ligue 1 title.

Internationally, he helped Argentina win the Finalissima while scoring seven times in 15 matches.

Messi’s Ballon d’Or history

The Argentine earned his first Ballon d’Or nomination in 2005, his first season as a regular starter at Barcelona.

Messi finished in the top three every year from 2007-2018, winning the award five times during that span.

After missing out in 2018, he won the award in both 2019 and 2021, with the Ballon d’Or not being handed out in 2020 as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.