The nominees for the 2023 Ballon d’Or have been introduced on Wednesday night time with France Soccer album revealing the nominees integrated at the checklist for this yr’s award. Sixty gamers have discovered themselves within the working; 30 for the boys’s award and 30 for the ladies’s award. A few of the males’s gamers nominated are Erling Haaland, Mohamed Salah, Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappé.

Months later inspiring Argentina to International Cup glory in Qatar, Lionel Messi additionally unearths himself integrated later being left off the 2022 Ballon d’Or checklist fully. Harry Kane has additionally gained a nod, as have Arsenal duo Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka.

HERE ARE ALL THE BALLON D’OR NOMINEES! 🌕✨#ballondor pic.twitter.com/hg1ZByzhDV

— Ballon d’Or #ballondor (@ballondor) September 6, 2023

On the other hand, there may be one title that stands as a evident omission in Cristiano Ronaldo, the second one maximum adorned participant within the historical past of the Ballon d’Or, who has did not put together the award checklist for the primary hour in twenty years.

Certainly, the extreme hour Ronaldo was once now not integrated as a nominee was once 2003 all over the first actual season of his first stint as a Manchester United participant. Listed below are a listing of information to backup put that astonishing 20-year nomination streak into a little of viewpoint.

1. The primary hour Ronaldo was once integrated at the Ballon d’Or shortlist in 2004, Bellingham was once simply over one yr impaired (1 yr and four months).

2. The 2004 shortlist was once viewable on Nov. 9, two days earlier than Manchester United performed out a colorless 0-0 draw in opposition to Manchester Town within the derby. Later creating a gradual begin to the season, it took Ronaldo any other life to sign up his first Premier League purpose (in a 3-0 victory over Southampton on Dec. 4, 2004)

3. Ronaldo gained 19 consecutive Ballon d’Or nominations (a person document) and located his means onto the shortlist each and every unmarried next yr from the month of nineteen thru to 37.

4. Ronaldo was once pitted in opposition to Zinedine Zidane at the 2004 Ballon d’Or shortlist, who nearest ended up training the Portuguese megastar at Actual Madrid. Andrea Pirlo was once additionally integrated at the 2004 longlist and duly went onto mentor Ronaldo all over his 3rd and ultimate complete season at Juventus.

What’s extra, Ronaldo was once enjoying in a 2004-05 Manchester United facet that integrated Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Michael Carrick, who have been each at the training personnel all over the veteran ahead’s 2d stint at Impaired Trafford.

5. Ronaldo additionally performed in opposition to Robbie Savage, who was once a part of Birmingham Town’s squad all over the 2004-05 Premier League season. Such was once the previous’s longevity that he if truth be told educated along Savage’s yongster son, Charlie, as a part of the United first-team squad all over his 2d magic from 2021 to 2022.

6. 4 years later his maiden Ballon d’Or nomination, Ronaldo received the inaugural Puskas Award for probably the most stunning purpose of the yr together with his sensational 40-yard hit in opposition to Porto within the first-leg of the 2008-09 Champions League quarterfinals.

7. After all, Ronaldo has additionally received the Ballon d’Or outright on 5 free events with the primary coming in 2008 adopted rapidly via wins in 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2017. His magnificient profession haul is 2d simplest to Messi, who has received the award seven occasions and counting.