Despite a four-year layoff, Ronaldo still holds one major Ballon d’Or record that Messi may never match.

ByTech Word News

Ronaldo still leads Messi in Ballon d’Or nominations despite missing four consecutive years/ Image: X Cristiano Ronaldo may have missed out on the Ballon d’Or shortlist for the fourth year in a row, but there is still one major category in the award’s history where the Portuguese star remains ahead of Lionel Messi.Messi’s return to the 2026 shortlist brought the two biggest rivals of their generation back into the same conversation, but it wasn’t enough to overturn Ronaldo’s long-standing lead for the most Ballon d’Or nominations.

Ronaldo remains one nomination ahead of Messi

France Football has revealed the final list of 30 nominees for the 2026 Ballon d’Or, with Messi included after another impressive campaign for club and country.His inclusion took Messi’s career total to 17 Ballon d’Or nominations, according to Spanish daily AS, making him second on the all-time list.Ronaldo remains in front with 18 nominations.This is particularly notable given that Ronaldo has not appeared on the shortlist since 2022.Also Read: Why Cristiano Ronaldo Was Not Nominated For 2026 Ballon d’Or Despite Ending Seven-Year Trophy Drought
Cristiano Ronaldo holds the all-time record with 18 Ballon d’Or nominations, the first coming in 2004. He then appeared among the top contenders for the award for 18 consecutive years, an extraordinary streak that lasted until 2022.Out of these 18 nominations, he won the prestigious trophy five times in his career. His winning years and clubs he represented include:

  • 2008: Won his first award while playing for Manchester United after winning the Premier League and UEFA Champions League trophies.
  • 2013: Won with Real Madrid after a stellar individual calendar year, scoring 69 goals.
  • 2014: Won back-to-back honors with Real Madrid after breaking the record for most goals scored in a single Champions League campaign.
  • 2016: Won with Real Madrid after securing both the Champions League and historic UEFA Euro 2016 title with Portugal.
  • 2017: Won his fifth trophy with Real Madrid, equaling the number of rivals at this particular point in their careers.

So Messi’s nomination for 2026 narrows the gap to just one, but Ronaldo still holds the record for the most Ballon d’Or nominations in history.Paolo Maldini is third with 13 nominations, while Johan Cruyff, Franz Beckenbauer and Karim Benzema have been nominated 12 times.Close behind are Zlatan Ibrahimović, Gianluigi Buffon, Zinedine Zidane, Michel Platini and Eusébio, who have all been shortlisted 11 times.So Ronaldo’s 18 appearances and Messi’s 17 put them comfortably level with every other player in the award’s history.

Messi’s World Cup heroics and MLS form bolstered his case

Messi’s latest nomination was also supported by another excellent World Cup campaign with Argentina, marking his record sixth consecutive appearance at the tournament. He helped lead his country to the finals in 2026, scoring eight goals and providing four assists.The campaign also saw Messi briefly become the top scorer in World Cup history with 21 goals, before being overtaken by Kylian Mbappé.Those numbers added another major international success to his CV and helped explain why he was back on the Ballon d’Or shortlist at the age of 39.His club form also boosted his international resume. In the 2026 MLS season with Inter Miami, Messi has 18 goals and 10 assists in 20 games and continues to produce at an elite level even as the club defends its MLS Cup title, which it won for the first time last season. Between a World Cup final run and a productive campaign in MLS, Messi’s case for a 17th nomination was being made on two fronts at once, not just one.

Messi is now the oldest nominated player of the 21st century

The latest nomination brought Messi another individual record.At 39, he became the oldest player to be nominated for the Ballon d’Or in the 21st century, surpassing Ronaldo’s previous mark.Ronaldo was 37 when he was nominated in 2022.Messi’s achievement is impressive, but it doesn’t guarantee him the all-time record. That still belongs to Stanley Matthews, the inaugural Ballon d’Or winner in 1956.Matthews was 41 when he won the prestigious award and remains the oldest player ever to win it.

Messi has a bigger trophy

However, there is one very important area where Messi has turned the tables.While Ronaldo leads the nominations, Messi has won the Ballon d’Or more times than anyone else.The Argentine has won the award eight times, winning in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, 2021 and 2023.Ronaldo has won it five times.This means that Messi holds the all-time record for Ballon d’Or wins, while Ronaldo remains the record holder for nominations.The difference is an apt reflection of how consistently these two players have competed at the highest level throughout their careers.Their rivalry has subsequently produced various historical records: Messi has more trophies and is now the oldest candidate of the modern era, while Ronaldo has the most appearances among the candidates. And even after missing the shortlist for the fourth consecutive year, Ronaldo’s name remains at the top of this particular list.Also Read: Why Cristiano Ronaldo Was Not Nominated For 2026 Ballon d’Or Despite Ending Seven-Year Trophy Drought
At the moment, Messi is the one closing the gap. With his 17th nomination confirmed for 2026, he is now just one appearance behind Ronaldo, leaving the Portuguese star’s record within reach, even if Ronaldo is no longer adding to it himself. But this effort may now come to a natural end in itself. Messi announced his retirement from international duty at the end of August 2026, the second time he has left Argentina after briefly doing the same in 2016.With both players now in the twilight of careers that have run parallel for two decades, the prospect of either adding another Ballon d’Or nomination in the coming years is increasingly unlikely, making Ronaldo’s record lead over Messi look less like one to be erased and more like one that may simply endure.