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French news magazine France Football has released the 30-man Ballon d'Or shortlist for this year. The winner of arguably football's most prestigious individual prize will be picked from the list.
Seven-time Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi, continental treble winners Erling Haaland, Rodri, and Kevin De Bruyne and the winner of the award last year, Karim Benzema, are some of the most prominent names on the list.
While there are plenty of highly recognizable names on the list, there are also quite a few individuals who have been snubbed from the 30-man shortlist. Some of these players had pretty good campaigns last time, and their exclusion feels harsh.
There are also other high-profile stars who were a staple in the 30-man shortlist but have not managed to make the cut this time. Without further ado, let's take a look at the five biggest stars who did not make the 30-man Ballon d'Or shortlist.
#5 Phil Foden (England/Manchester City)
Phil Foden did encounter a dip in form during the 2022-23 season and had to fight for his place in the Manchester City starting lineup. But that's always the case with City. The juggernaut that they are, any underperforming player gets demoted to the bench and is quickly replaced by another.
But Foden still managed to have a very good season. Playing in multiple positions across the midfield and the frontline, Foden managed to score 15 goals and provide eight assists. He was a key performer for Manchester City in their continental treble triumph.
As such, his exclusion from the 30-man Ballon d'Or shortlist comes as a bit of a surprise.
#4 Enzo Fernandez (Argentina/Chelsea)
Last season was a career-defining one for Enzo Fernandez. The Argentinian midfielder had already started turning heads with his performances for Benfica but the world collectively took note of his excellence during the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Fernandez was not a starter for Argentina heading into the World Cup. But after their shocking 2-1 loss to Saudi Arabia in their opening game, Argentina's coach Lionel Scaloni took cognizance of the need to switch things up in midfield. Subsequently, Fernandez was called upon to play a more extensive role.
He took the opportunity by the scruff of its neck and produced a set of scintillating performances for his side. Fernandez's tenacity coupled with his technical qualities helped Argentina win the World Cup. He was also named the "Best Young Player Award" at the tournament.
Fernandez subsequently joined Chelsea in January 2023 as their most expensive signing (€121 million) of all time. Despite Chelsea's struggles last term, the 22-year-old did a good job in his first half-season at the club. However, he has been left out of the 30-man Ballon d'Or shortlist this year.
#3 Jack Grealish (England/Manchester City)
Jack Grealish came through for Manchester City in his sophomore season at the Etihad. After a difficult debut campaign where his teething issues were measured against the heftiness of his €117 million price tag, Grealish returned to his best last season.
Playing down the left wing, Grealish was an absolute menace for defenders by virtue of his wonderful ball progression and playmaking abilities. The Englishman's knack for taking defenders on and beating them was a very crucial aspect of Manchester City's style of play inside the attacking third.
He scored five goals and 11 assists and while his stats may not accurately reflect it, Grealish played a crucial role in City's continental treble win.
#2 Marcus Rashford (England/Manchester United)
Out of all the players on this list, Marcus Rashford's exclusion from the 30-man Ballon d'Or shortlist was arguably the biggest shocker. The 2022-23 season was the Manchester United forward's best season at an individual level.
He scored 30 goals and provided 11 assists in 56 appearances in all competitions for Manchester United last season. Rashford also won the Carabao Cup with the Red Devils and also scored three goals in five appearances for England at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
As such, it's absolutely baffling that he has been left out of the list.
#1 Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal/Al-Nassr)
Cristiano Ronaldo is the biggest name that's not on the 30-man Ballon d'Or shortlist this year. This is the first time in 20 years that Ronaldo has failed to make the list and it goes to show the level of consistency that he has been operating at.
Ronaldo's exclusion is less of a surprise than all the other players on this list. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner endured a forgettable time in the first half of the 2022-23 season.
He was in poor form for Manchester United and also had a falling out with manager Erik ten Hag, which led to him joining Saudi Pro League club Al-Nassr in January 2023.
Ronaldo has since done a very good job for Al-Nassr, scoring 14 goals and providing two assists in 16 Saudi Pro League appearances last term. But his exploits in the much less competitive league were not expected to do much for him in the race for the Ballon d'Or.
