For the first time since 2005, Lionel Messi has been left off the list of Ballon d'Or nominees.
The Ballon d'Or is given annually to the male player determined to be the best in the world, and it's hard to believe Messi was left off the 30-man list of players nominated for the award.
This year's list of nominees is highlighted by Paris Saint-Germain's Kylian Mbappé, Liverpool's Mohamed Salah and Real Madrid's Karim Benzema. Here's a look at the full list:
- Thibaut Courtois, Real Madrid
- Rafael Leão, AC Milan
- Christopher Nkunku, RB Leipzig
- Mohamed Salah, Liverpool
- Joshua Kimmich, Bayern Munich
- Trent Alexander-Arnold, Liverpool
- Vinicius Jr.