Messi Excludes Jude Bellingham from List of Potential Ballon d'Or Contenders

Lionel Messi Excludes Jude Bellingham from List of Potential Ballon d'Or Contenders

In a recent statement, Lionel Messi identified four players whom he believes will contend for the next Ballon d'Or award, but notably omitted Jude Bellingham from his selection.

Messi's Ballon d'Or Predictions

Messi secured his eighth Ballon d'Or accolade in Paris last October, clinching the title of the world's best men's player, as voted by 100 journalists from prominent FIFA nations. Despite stiff competition from Erling Haaland and former PSG colleague Kylian Mbappe, Messi emerged victorious, becoming the award's second-oldest recipient at 36 years old.

According to French outlet L'Equipe, Messi outlined his predictions, stating, "The players to compete for the Ballon d’Or in the coming years? There may be a very beautiful rivalry in the coming years with players like Haaland, Mbappe, Vinicius, and many young players competing for the Ballon d'Or."

Notable Omissions and Special Mentions

Curiously absent from Messi's list was Jude Bellingham, raising eyebrows among football enthusiasts. However, Messi did acknowledge the potential of 16-year-old Barcelona prodigy Lamine Yamal, highlighting his status as Spain's youngest-ever goalscorer and forecasting a promising trajectory for the rising star.

In Messi's words, "I also think that Lamine Yamal, who is still very young and now plays for Barcelona, ​​will play a prominent role and fight for it in the future too, and certainly there will be others competing for it, new players that we do not know will appear, because there are always new players, and I think it will be a very beautiful era to enjoy.”

Messi's assessment suggests an exciting period ahead for football, with emerging talents poised to challenge established stars for the prestigious Ballon d'Or accolade.