“It's injustice that he’s not nominated” - Barcelona legend publicly hits out at Real Madrid star Rodrygo being left out of 2024 Ballon d’Or shortlist

Barcelona legend Rivaldo believes Real Madrid forward Rodrygo's omission from the Ballon d'Or shortlist is wrong. The coveted award is all set to be handed to a first-time winner this year, with Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi not among the nominees.

The trophy will be awarded on October 28 at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris, France. The 30-man shortlist is already out and some of the best players in the world have made the cut.

The nominees include Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior and Manchester City's Rodri, the frontrunners in the race. However, many experts and fans felt Rodrygo was a glaring miss on the list. His absence has been heavily discussed in recent days.

The Brazilian was outstanding for Los Blancos last season, scoring 17 goals and setting up nine more from 51 games. He played a key role as the Spanish giants won the league, the Champions League, and the Supercopa de Espana.

The Ballon d'Or is traditionally awarded to a player based on his achievements as well as performance for club and country over the past 12 months. Rodrygo was indispensable for Real Madrid last season and would be disappointed at missing out on the shortlist.

Speaking recently, as cited by Madrid Xtra, Rivaldo insisted that his countryman's absence from the nominee list is difficult to understand.

“What is the Ballon d’Or criteria if someone like Rodrygo is not nominated? It is difficult to understand this. Rodrygo is a potential Ballon d’Or. It is injustice that he is not nominated,” Rivaldo said.

Rodrygo has had a slow start to the new season with Los Blancos, registering one goal and one assist from five games.

Could a Real Madrid player win the Ballon d'Or this year?

Vinicius Junior is among the frontrunners for this year's Ballon d'Or. The coveted trophy could return to Real Madrid after a gap of just one year. Karim Benzema won the award in 2022 during his time at the Santiago Bernabeu. In 2023, Lionel Messi won his record-extending eighth title. Meanwhile, Luka Modric also got his hands on the coveted trophy in 2018.

This year, Los Blancos are well represented among the nominees. Apart from Vinicius, the other Real Madrid players to make it on the shortlist are Jude Bellingham, Federico Valverde, Kylian Mbappe, Dani Carvajal, and Antonio Rudiger.

If Vinicius wins the Ballon d'Or this year, he will be the ninth player from the club to do so. He will also be the fifth Brazilian to lift the trophy, following in the footsteps of Rivaldo, Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, and Kaka.