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Associated Press

No Lionel Messi. No Cristiano Ronaldo.
When the Ballon d’Or is presented at a gala ceremony in Paris on Monday, it will feel like the start of a new era in football. There is also a sense of a void now that one of sport’s most engrossing rivalries is probably over.
“It’s interesting that as it starts to come to an end, we are sort of saying, what’s the next equivalent rivalry going to be?” said football writer Jonathan Wilson. “As if that kind of rivalry was a natural state. But there’s never been a rivalry like that before.”
Messi and Ronaldo won football’s most prestigious individual award a combined 13 times over a 16-year period of unprecedented dominance. Neither has been nominated this year.
Instead, Real Madrid winger Vinicius Junior is the favourite to be crowned the world’s best player and become the first winner born this century.

He underlined his credentials this week with a stunning Champions League hat-trick against Borussia Dortmund.
“Vinicius had an incredible season where he was a key player … he proved he’s the best player in the world,” Madrid teammate Lucas Vazquez said.
But rather than Vinicius spearheading a new era of dominance, it seems likely the award will revert to a time before Messi and Ronaldo, when multiple winners were relatively rare.
France great Zinedine Zidane, for instance, won it only once. The same goes for Ronaldinho, Rivaldo, Luis Figo and George Best. Originally limited to European players, it was never won by Pele or Diego Maradona.
Before Messi, the last player to win back-to-back awards was Dutch striker Marco van Basten in 1988 and 1989.
Messi won a record-extending eighth Ballon d’Or last year after leading Argentina to triumph at the World Cup in 2022. Wilson, who wrote about the history of Argentinian football in his book Angels With Dirty Faces, sees no obvious successor to the Barcelona great, now at Inter Miami in the US.

“Messi’s been phenomenal for 17, 18 years,” he said. “It’s not a pure tallying process, but in terms of greatness over a protracted period, Messi is the greatest there has ever been by quite some margin.
“I don’t think there’s anybody in the world now who has anything remotely close to that talent.”
Such was the dominance of Messi and Ronaldo, not only would Vinicius Junior become the first winner born this century, but there has never even been a recipient born in the 1990s.
Vinicius, whose goals helped Madrid to a record-extending 15th European Cup last season, is part of a new generation of stars that are flourishing as Messi and Ronaldo reach the final stages of their careers.
Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland, Jude Bellingham and Lamine Yamal make up a field of contenders who could challenge for years to come.
Manchester City midfielder Rodri is second favourite to win this year and would become the first player born in the 1990s to take the award.
Mbappe, who has long been seen as the heir to Messi and Ronaldo as the world’s best player, was born in 1998, meaning it is likely there will eventually be a winner from that decade even if Rodri misses out.

The only other winners since Ronaldo won his first Ballon d’Or in 2008 were Luka Modric in 2018 and Karim Benzema in 2022. Both were born in the 1980s.
The award was cancelled in 2020, when Robert Lewandowski was widely regarded the best player that year. He was also born in the 1980s.
Neymar, born in 1992, came third on two occasions.
The Ballon d’Or was created by France Football magazine and has been awarded since 1956. It is voted for by journalists from the top 100 countries in the Fifa rankings.
Each journalist, one per country, selects 10 players in ranked order, with points attributed to each position. The winner is the player who receives the most points.
The dominance of Messi and Ronaldo in the age of social media has heightened the profile of the award.
Players talk of their dream to win it in a manner they may have spoken about the Champions League and World Cup in the past.
The potential to win it is used during transfer negotiations, with clauses added to contracts stipulating a buying club will pay extra costs if a player goes on to be crowned the best player in the world.
While Vinicius appears to be in pole position this year, Mbappe v Haaland has the potential to develop into a new rivalry for the award – particularly given they are strikers for Madrid and Manchester City, respectively, the two best teams in Europe in recent years.

“That whole idea of rivalries and sort of head-to-head, one-v-ones is just such a big part of football now,” said football writer Matt Oldfield. “People want to be able to simplify it to one-v-one, and I think the Mbappe-Haaland debate will be the leading one.”
Oldfield writes children’s books about football and on visits to schools he gauges the popularity of players among young fans.
His latest series is called “The Football GOAT (greatest of all time)”.
The first book in the series centred on Messi and Ronaldo. The next is about Mbappe and Haaland.
“We’re kind of moving beyond Messi and Ronaldo now,” he said.


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Fifa

Ballon d’Or: move over, Messi and Ronaldo – a new generation is up for football’s top award

Cristiano Ronaldo (left) and Lionel Messi have won football’s most prestigious individual award 13 times over 16 years, but neither has been nominated this year. Photo: AP 

Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior the favourite to be crowned the world’s best player on Monday. Photo: AP

Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe has long been seen as the heir to Messi and Ronaldo. Photo: EPA-EFE

Luka Modric (right) and Karim Benzema have been the only other winners since Ronaldo first won in 2008. Photo: AFP

Manchester City’s Erling Haaland could be among those vying for the title in the years to come. Photo: AP

Devoted China Cristiano Ronaldo football fan takes 13,000km bicycle ride to meet idol

A devoted fan of football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo has cycled 13,000 kilometres to Saudi Arabia to meet his hero. Photo: SCMP composite/Douyin

Gong’s trusty bicycle is decorated with a cardboard sign explaining his mission. Photo: Douyin

Finally, Gong meets his football idol Cristiano Ronaldo in Saudi Arabia. Photo: Douyin

English Premier League: Man City’s Rodri out for season after tearing ACL, Guardiola says

Manchester City’s Rodri lies on the ground during his side’s Premier League game against Arsenal. Photo: EPA-EFE

Lionel Messi wins record eighth Ballon d’Or award as world’s top player, but Chinese fans set to miss out as tour axed

Inter Miami’s and Argentina’s national team player Lionel Messi receives the 2023 Ballon d’Or trophy in Paris. Photo: AP

This combination of file photographs shows Lionel Messi winning the Ballon d’Or in (from left to right) 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, 2021 and 2023. Photo: AP

Lionel Messi says he ‘never gives importance’ to Ballon d’Or after nomination for Uefa best player award

Lionel Messi gave his first press conference with Inter Miami ahead of their Leagues Cup final clash against Nashville. Photo: USA TODAY Sports

Lionel Messi says he has ‘other objectives’ with Inter Miami now after winning the World Cup. Photo: TNS

Lionel Messi is in superb form in the US, having scored nine goals in just six matches with Inter Miami. Photo: AFP

Karim Benzema wins Ballon d’Or for the first time, says World Cup is ‘the next challenge’

Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema celebrates after winning the 2022 Ballon d’Or. Photo: Reuters

Karim Benzema receives the Ballon d’Or award next to his mother Malika Benzema, his father Hafid Benzema from French former forward football player Zinedine Zidane. Photo: AFP

FC Barcelona’s Spanish midfielder Alexia Putellas receives her second Woman Ballon d’Or award during the award ceremony in Paris. Photo: Xinhua

Sport

Football

Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior is favourite to be crowned world’s best player on Monday, while Mbappe and Haaland lead field of contenders


Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior is favourite to be crowned world’s best player on Monday, while Mbappe and Haaland lead field of contenders.


Lionel Messi

Cristiano Ronaldo