Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi’s time is officially up

For the second year in a row, neither Cristiano Ronaldo nor Lionel Messi made the final shortlist for the Ballon d’Or, signaling an increasingly definitive end to an era that shaped global soccer for two decades.

France Football on Thursday released the 30-player shortlist for the 2025 Ballon d’Or, with rising stars and household names like Lamine Yamal and Kylian Mbappé leading the way. While a few surprises could still be in store when the winner is announced, the biggest shock for many fans may already be here: no Ronaldo, no Messi.

This marks the second consecutive year that both legends have been excluded from the final list, a striking milestone after 20 years of near-total dominance in which the duo claimed the prestigious award a combined 13 times (Messi 8, Ronaldo 5).

A changing of the guard

Messi, now in Major League Soccer with Inter Miami, and Ronaldo, playing for Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia, have largely stepped out of the global spotlight. And with their omission from the 2025 Ballon d’Or finalists, it’s clear the torch has been passed to a younger generation. For fans who grew up watching the two icons battle for supremacy year after year, this feels like a historic turning point.

Did Ronaldo and Messi deserve to be on the list?

Under updated Ballon d’Or criteria, collective trophies are no longer the sole measure of success. Individual performance with clubs and national teams now carries significant weight as well—an area where both Messi and Ronaldo made respectable contributions over the past year.

Messi led Inter Miami to win the Supporters’ Shield, the MLS trophy awarded to the team with the best regular-season record. Ronaldo, meanwhile, was Al Nassr’s top scorer, finishing the season with more goals than any other player in the Saudi Pro League, even if the team ultimately fell short of major silverware.

On the international stage, Ronaldo played a key role in helping Portugal win the UEFA Nations League final against Spain, adding yet another title to his already-packed résumé.

Still, despite their achievements, the Ballon d’Or spotlight has shifted. The latest shortlist makes it clear: the Ronaldo-Messi era is all but over—and a new generation of stars is ready to write the next chapter.

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