The shortlist for this year’s Ballon d’Or award was something of a landmark moment in recent football history.
For the first time since 2003, neither Lionel Messi nor Cristiano Ronaldo are anywhere to be found on the 30-player shortlist, effectively drawing a line under an era of duopoly that saw the pair win 13 awards between them over the past 15 seasons.
With previous winners Karim Benzema and Luka Modric also being omitted from the shortlist ahead of next month’s ceremony in Paris, we are also guaranteed a first-time winner.
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There is also another quirk which looks set to come to the fore when the 2023/24 winner is crowned.
Real Madrid’s Brazilian winger Vinicius Junior is the bookmaker’s clear odds-on favourite to win the award, following a season which saw him play a key role in the Bernabeu side’s domestic and European dominance, while his club teammate Jude Bellingham is also another leading contender, as is Barcelona starlet Lamine Yamal.
What this trio all have in common is the fact that they were born in the 2000s - and if one of them does end up winning the prize, it will mean that a player born in the 2000s would win the award before a player born in the 1990s.
While it would be a stretch to call this a ‘lost generation’ this is not the only sport that has seen children of the ‘90s overshadowed by the generations that have come before and after them.
Tennis is the next best example, with the 1980s-born quartet of Roger Federer, Rafa Nadel, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray leading a charge that saw players born in that decade win 80 Grand Slam titles - while players born in the 1990s have won just two (Dominic Thiem and Daniil Medvedev). The likes of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner are already up and running for the 2000s generation.
But while the favourites for this year’s Ballon d’Or were born in the noughties, there is still hope for the children of the ‘90s, with Spain and Manchester City midfielder Rodri hoping he can upset the odds and land the prize as he is among 18 ‘90s born stars on the shortlist, while Kylian Mbappe will also be hoping that the stars align for him to land the award in the not-too-distant future.
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