Lionel Messi and Neymar Jr. of Paris Saint-Germain were shockingly left off the 30-player shortlist for the 2022 Ballon d’Or award.
The list of the contestants’ finalists was released on Friday by the event’s organisers, France Football.
Messi won’t be selected for the first time since 2005.
The captain of Argentina began a streak of 15 consecutive nominations after winning it for the first time, the most of any player.
He scored just 11 goals in all competitions during his first season at PSG, which cost him the award.
Messi’s team-mate, Neymar, is also absent from a list that features firm favourite Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema.
Cristiano Ronaldo, Robert Lewandowski, Erling Haaland were also included in the list of this year’s nominees.
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