The France Football magazine has come up with its nominees for this year’s Ballon d'Or award in both men and women categories. Overall, 30 footballers have made a cut to the men’s list. But it is worth mentioning that Cristiano Ronaldo, who has five Ballon d'Or trophies to his name, has failed to find a place on the list. Not just that, Brazilian superstar Neymar’s name was also not mentioned in the Ballon d'Or shortlist for the second time in a row. Neymar recently signed for Saudi side Al Hilal. Other big names which have been excluded are Marcus Rashford, John Stones, Thibaut Courtois, Marc-Andre ter Stegen and Frenkie De Jong.
In this article, we take a look at the top five names who are not part of the Ballon d’Or nominees:
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Cristiano Ronaldo
This is the first time in last two decades that Ronaldo has failed to find a place among the Ballon d’Or nominees. The Portuguese superstar made a shocking move to Saudi Arabia last season following an abrupt ending to his second spell at Manchester United. The former Real Madrid star claimed his maiden trophy with Al Nassr last month, having won the Arab Club Champions Cup.
Neymar
Neymar might have failed to win the Champions League with PSG but the Brazilian forward showed off his A-game during his stint at the Ligue 1 giants. During the 2022-23 season, Neymar scored 18 Ligue 1 goals in the PSG jersey to guide his side to the domestic league title.
Marcus Rashford
Despite enjoying an impressive run with Manchester United in last couple of months, Marcus Rashford failed to find his name on the elite list of this year’s Ballon d’Or nominees. The English international played a key role in earning a top-four finish in the Premier League for Manchester United last season. He also played a pivotal role in Manchester United’s Carabao Cup triumph, scoring six goals in as many appearances. Overall, Rashford represented the Red Devils in 35 Premier League games last season, finding the back of the net 17 times.
John Stones
John Stones deserves much credit for Manchester City’s stunning treble-winning run in the 2022-23 season. Apart from his regular centre-back position, Stones was also used as a defensive midfielder as well as a full-back by Pep Guardiola. Despite dealing with a hamstring injury, Stones featured in 34 games for Manchester City last season. He proved his flexibility in every position while scoring three goals and providing as many assists. Stones also registered the best dribble success rate in the 2022-23 Champions League.
Thibaut Courtois
{{/usCountry}}John Stones deserves much credit for Manchester City’s stunning treble-winning run in the 2022-23 season. Apart from his regular centre-back position, Stones was also used as a defensive midfielder as well as a full-back by Pep Guardiola. Despite dealing with a hamstring injury, Stones featured in 34 games for Manchester City last season. He proved his flexibility in every position while scoring three goals and providing as many assists. Stones also registered the best dribble success rate in the 2022-23 Champions League.
Thibaut Courtois
{{/usCountry}}Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois was certainly the best goalkeeper in Spanish football last season. He won the Spanish Super Cup and UEFA Super Cup with Real Madrid. In 49 appearances across all competitions, the Belgian international claimed as many as 17 clean sheets.