Ballon d'Or: Lionel Messi is left off list of contenders for soccer's biggest individual prize

Lionel Messi may be considered by many as the greatest soccer player of all time, but the Argentina star was omitted from the list of nominations to win this year's Ballon d'Or award — the sport's most prized individual honor.

The record eight-time winner and holder of the trophy did not feature Wednesday in a list of 30 players in the running for the award, which will be presented Oct. 28.

Also excluded was Messi's great rival, five-time winner Cristiano Ronaldo. It was the first time since 2003 that neither player made the list.

Vinicius Junior, Rodri, Jude Bellingham, Kylian Mbappé, Erling Haaland and Harry Kane are among the names nominated.

Messi, who left European soccer behind when moving from Paris Saint-Germain to Inter Miami last year, is still delivering at a high level and helped Argentina win the Copa America in July. The 37-year-old beat Manchester City striker Haaland to the award last year, but will not defend his title.

Messi won his first Ballon d’Or in 2009 — the start of a four-year streak of taking the top prize.

He was first nominated in 2006.

Messi and Ronaldo turned the competition into a near-two-way contest during the peak of their careers — winning it a combined 13 times from 2008.

Ronaldo's first nomination was 2004.

Their omission from the list of nominations is likely due to leaving top-flight European club soccer, with Ronaldo having moved to Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia.

A new generation of talent has emerged in the form of Mbappé, Vinicius Junior, Bellingham and Haaland. Emerging teenage star Lamine Yamal of Spain was also nominated.

While City striker Haaland was runner-up to Messi last year, the favorites to be crowned Ballon d’Or winner this time around include Real Madrid pair Vinicius Junior and Bellingham, as well as City and Spain midfielder Rodri.

Messi was also left off the list in 2022, but powered back to inspire Argentina to the World Cup title later that year and won his eighth Ballon d’Or in 2023.

However, at the latter end of his career and now playing in MLS, he may find it harder to hold off the challenge of his younger rivals for the title of the game’s best.

It is also notable that he was omitted despite winning a major international honor with Argentina this year.

Aitana Bonmati, who won the women’s award last year is nominated again. U.S. stars Trinity Rodman, Sophia Smith, Mallory Swanson, Alyssa Naeher and Lindsey Horan were also on the 30-long list of contenders.

The awards are voted for by a jury of men's and women's soccer journalists.

Created by France Football magazine, the Ballon d'Or was first awarded to England great Stanley Matthews in 1956.

Legends of the game including Eusébio, Bobby Charlton, George Best, Johan Cruyff, Franz Beckenbauer, Ronaldo and Zinédine Zidane have all won it in the past.

James Robson is at https://twitter.com/jamesalanrobson

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Bayern's Harry Kane prepares to throw the ball during the Bundesliga soccer match between Bayern Munich and SC Freiburg at the Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany, Sunday, Sept. 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

FILE - Spain's Rodri holds the player of the tournament trophy after the final match between Spain and England at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in Berlin, Germany, July 14, 2024. Jude Bellingham and Rodri have key starring roles for title-winning soccer clubs and their national teams. Neither is currently playing matches. (AP Photo/Andreea Alexandru, File)

Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior reacts during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Madrid and Betis at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid, Spain, Sunday, Sept. 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Pablo Garcia)

Manchester City's Erling Haaland reacts at the end of the English Premier League soccer match between West Ham United and Manchester City at the London Stadium in London, England, Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)

FILE - Argentina's Lionel Messi during a Copa America semifinal soccer match against Canada in East Rutherford, N.J., July 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson, File)

PARIS (AP) — French far-right leader Marine Le Pen is to answer questions from judges at a Paris court Monday as she and her National Rally party stand trial over the suspected embezzlement of European Parliament funds. She has denied any wrongdoing.

The nine-week trial is a critical juncture for Le Pen, expected to be a strong contender in France’s next presidential election in 2027. A guilty verdict could significantly affect her political career and aspirations.

The National Rally and 25 of its top officials went on trial last month for having used money intended for EU parliamentary aides instead to pay staff who worked for the party between 2004 and 2016, in violation of the 27-nation bloc’s regulations. The National Rally was called the National Front at the time.

Le Pen is scheduled to answer questions from the court for three successive days, starting on Monday, over the use of EU money to pay for her bodyguard, her chief of staff and two other party aides.

When the trial opened last month, she vowed to present “solid arguments” showing that she and other party officials “did not violate any political and regulatory rules of the European Parliament.”

If found guilty, Le Pen and her co-defendants could face up to 10 years in prison and fines of up to 1 million euros ($1.1 million) each. Additional penalties, such as the loss of civil rights or ineligibility to run for office, could also be imposed, a scenario that could hamper, or even destroy, Le Pen’s goal to mount another presidential bid after the end of President Emmanuel Macron’s term. Le Pen was runner-up to Macron in the 2017 and 2022 presidential elections.

Two other National Rally officials, including the party’s historic leader, Le Pen’s father Jean-Marie, have faced similar accusations but have been exempted from prosecution on health grounds.

The trial is scheduled to last until Nov. 27.

French far-right leader Marine Le Pen walks past the media as she arrives at the court house in Paris, Monday, Sept. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Louise Delmotte)

French far-right leader Marine Le Pen speaks to the media as she arrives at the court house in Paris, Monday, Sept. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)