Rodri joins 10 Premier League stars on Ballon d’Or shortlist as he is joined by Man City team-mates and Arsenal representatives – but there’s no Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi for the first time in 21 YEARS

The nominations for the 2024 Ballon d’Or have been announced, with Manchester City midfielder Rodri leading the Premier League competition to win the coveted individual award.

Rodri’s stunning performances for both club and country last season saw him win a fourth Premier League title, reach the FA Cup final and become European champions with Spain.

Ten Premier League stars have been named from the 30 nominees ahead of the annual ceremony recognising the world’s best male and female players, which takes place on 28 October in the luxurious setting of the Théâtre du Châtelet in central Paris.

A shortlist of 30 players was announced on Wednesday, and will later be whittled down to a handful of players hoping to win the title of world’s best footballer.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi dominated the award in the 2010s, but for the first time in 21 years they have not been nominated.

Real Madrid duo Vinicius Jnr (left) and Jude Bellingham (right) are among the favourites

For the first time in 21 years, Cristiano Ronaldo (right) and Lionel Messi (left) are not on the shortlist

However, Messi is not expected to be in the final of the men’s award this time around. Rodri is expected to be in the final shortlist along with Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jnr and England’s Jude Bellingham.

The Real Madrid duo shone during the Spanish club’s campaign, convincingly winning the LaLiga title and jointly beating Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League final.

Real Madrid defender Dani Carvajal, 32, has also been nominated for the Ballon d’Or after ending the season by winning multiple trophies at club level and lifting the Euro 2024 title with Spain.

Other Premier League representatives include players from Man City, Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea, but there is no player from Manchester United.

Manchester City striker Erling Haaland is also among the nominees for the coveted title

Phil Foden hopes to win his previous award, the PFA’s Players’ Player of the Year Award

Erling Haaland is a favourite among the candidates after winning the Golden Boot for the second time in a row, scoring 27 goals in the Premier League and adding 11 goals in cup competitions.

His team-mate Phil Foden is also hoping to add to his PFA Player of the Year title and is among the male candidates chosen by the Ballon d’Or committee. City defender Ruben Dias has also been included in the squad.

Cole Palmer is among the Chelsea representatives set to receive the award after a stunning debut season for the Blues, while Arsenal stars Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and William Saliba are also in contention.

Manchester United and England midfielder Kobbie Mainoo is among the nominees for the Kopa Trophy, an award for the best under-21 player of the past season.

Cole Palmer is one of the Chelsea representatives to win the award after a great debut season

Man United and England midfielder Kobbie Mainoo is among the nominees for the Kopa trophy, which recognises the best player under the age of 21

Meanwhile, Kylian Mbappe is also on the shortlist after an excellent individual season at his former club Paris Saint-Germain, before making his dream transfer to Real Madrid this summer.

The shortlist for the female category, which recognises the best female player in the world, has also been announced, with a large number of stars from the Lionesses taking part.

England footballers Lucy Bronze and Lauren James have been nominated for the award, along with a host of other stars playing in the English Women’s Super League and across Europe.