Benzema, Ronaldo and Haaland are nominated for the Golden Ball, and Messi is out of the race
Benzema, Ronaldo and Haaland are nominated for the Golden Ball, and Messi is out of the race
France Football magazine announced on Friday that Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema is among 30 nominees for the prestigious Ballon d'Or award.
The French international enjoyed a wonderful season with Real Madrid, scoring 44 goals in 46 games and helping the team win the Champions League and La Liga titles.
Seven-time winner of the award, Lionel Messi, was not nominated this year for the first time since 2005, and Brazilian Neymar, his Paris St Germain teammate, also missed the race.
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Other candidates include Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo, Manchester City's Erling Haaland, who just joined from Borussia Dortmund, and Liverpool's Mohamed Salah, who shared the Premier League's top scorer last season.
Among the 20 players nominated for the award in the women's edition, Ada Hegerberg of Lyon, who won the first edition in 2018, and Alexia Botías of Barcelona.
Arsenal striker Beth Meade, who won the European Championship with hosts England last month and was named the tournament's best player, is also among the shortlisted candidates.
messi , ronaldo , haland , ben zima , neymar , mbappé
The prize winner will be announced on October 17th. The award is given for the first time based on the player's performance during the regular season from August to July instead of the period during a calendar year.