(MENAFN) Argentine football legend Lionel Messi was not between the contenders for the Ballon d'Or for the first time as the list that was released on Friday counted in Robert Lewandowski, Karim Benzema, Cristiano Ronaldo as well as Mohamed Salah.
France Football magazine declared on their website the 30 players competing for the respected prize in 2022.
Better known as Golden Ball Prize, the Ballon d'Or is handed to the sport’s best player of the year.
Messi, 35, a Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) attacked, has achieved the award seven times which is the highest any player has ever won it, with last time being in 2021.
But the ex-Barcelona legend was not in 30-player shortlist for the prize for the initial time in 17 years.
Like Messi, other PSG superstar, Neymar, from Brazil was also not included in the nominations.
But Manchester United legend Ronaldo, Barcelona's Lewandowski, Real Madrid's Benzema, as well as Liverpool winger Salah were between the other contenders.
Portuguese icon Ronaldo, who is 37 years old, is the second highest winner of the Ballon d'Or by achieving it five-time in 2008, 2013, 2014, 2016, and 2017.
The Ballon d'Or ceremony is going to be hosted on Oct. 17 at Paris' Theatre du Chatelet.
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