JUST IN: Messi and Cristian Ronaldo have both been eliminated from consideration for the Balloon d’Or.

JUST IN: Messi and Cristian Ronaldo have both been eliminated from consideration for the Balloon d’Or.

Messi and Ronaldo left off Ballon d’Or shortlist for first time in 21 years.

Neither Lionel Messi nor Cristiano Ronaldo have made the shortlist for the Ballon d’Or for the first time since 2003.

Messi was expected to be among the 30 nominees after leading Argentina to the Copa America trophy in July while Ronaldo has been in typically prolific form for Al Nassr in the Saudi Pro League.

But the Inter Miami striker, who won his eighth BdO last year, was not included with Ronaldo also absent.

It is the clearest sign yet that Messi and Ronaldo’s dominance of world football is over, perhaps not surprising given they are 37 and 39 years old respectively.

Vinicius Jnr is the favourite to land the award on October 28 after a glittering season in which he played a crucial role in Real Madrid winning a La Liga and Champions League double. His Madrid team-mate Jude Bellingham is also among the favourites after a wonderful debut season at the Bernabeu.101 Great Goals is a global, football media news publisher devoted to producing content for a digital generation over web, social and mobile platforms. The 101 Great Goals website is constantly updated with live streaming information and football betting tips, as well as football (soccer) news, video and social media updates by the hour. Every single day of the week. We pride ourselves at 101 Great Goals on sourcing the best ways for football fans to watch upcoming matches. Our intention is to inform on forthcoming matches, both how to view and also provide a level playing field when football betting. We cover some of the biggest teams in the world, including Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Real Madrid, Barcelona and Tottenham. 101 Great Goals is also active on social media, including Facebook and Twitte