Messi won his first Ballon d’Or in 2009 — the start of a four-year streak of taking the top prize. He was first nominated in 2006. Messi and Ronaldo turned the competition into a near-two-way contest during the peak of their careers — winning it a combined 13 times from 2008. Ronaldo's first nomination was 2004.

For the first time since 2003 neither Cristiano Ronaldo nor Lionel Messi have been included in the nominees for the men's Ballon d'Or award, which were announced on Wednesday, with England's Jude Bellingham among the 30 players named.