Mon Oct 28 07:59:08 UTC 2024: ## Ballon d’Or Ceremony to Take Place Without Messi and Ronaldo for First Time in 20 Years
**Paris, France -** The prestigious Ballon d’Or ceremony, set to take place on Monday evening at the Châtelet Theatre in Paris, will be making history this year. For the first time in 20 years, both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, who hold a combined 13 Ballon d’Or awards, have been left off the nomination list.
Real Madrid winger Vinicius Junior is the frontrunner to be crowned the world’s best player and become the first winner born in the 21st century. Other contenders include Manchester City and Spain’s Rodri and Vinicius’ Real Madrid teammate Jude Bellingham from England.
Created by France Football magazine in 1956, the Ballon d’Or is awarded based on votes from journalists representing the top 100 countries in the FIFA rankings. Each journalist selects 10 players, with points assigned for their ranked order. The player with the most points wins the coveted award.
In addition to the main award, the ceremony will also see the presentation of the Ballon d’Or Feminin (best women’s player), Kopa Trophy (best young footballer), Yashin Trophy (best goalkeeper), Gerd Muller Trophy (Most goals scored by a player), Socrates Award (humanitarian work), best men’s and women’s club of the year, and the best men’s and women’s coach of the year.
First Piper 