Is Lionel Messi Among the 2025 Ballon D’or Nominees?

The list is complete... but is the greatest missing? Eight Ballon d'Ors, a football legend, and a gala just around the corner. But… will we see Lionel Messi in Paris this 2025?

France Football has revealed the 30 players who will compete for the title of the best player in the world, and for the first time in years, Messi is out of the conversation. The Inter Miami star failed to stand out in elite competitions, a key criteria for voters.

While he shone in MLS, the fact that he competed in a lower-tier league—without any Champions League presence or major international tournaments during the evaluation period—counted heavily against him. And although his media and football impact in the U.S. has been huge, it simply wasn’t enough.

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His 2025 stats

With Inter Miami, Messi has played 31 matches so far this year, scoring 24 goals and providing 10 assists. A strong performance that keeps him as the team’s offensive leader. However, for Argentina, he’s only appeared in two games in 2025—against Chile and Colombia—coming off the bench in one of them.

In March, an injury kept him out of the clashes against Uruguay and Brazil, meaning his international impact this year has been almost nonexistent. With no titles, no global feats, and limited spotlight, the award feels far out of reach.