The Ballon d'Or nominees were just released, and I have some thoughts.

Ten PSG players are on one list.

That's not a shortlist anymore, it's basically a PSG squad photo.

Dembélé, Vitinha, Kvaratskhelia, Hakimi, Nuno Mendes, Fabián Ruiz, Marquinhos, Pacho, Ferran Torres, João Neves. All nominated. All are from the same club.

I get it, they won everything. But if ten guys from the same dressing room are all vying for the same individual prize, doesn't that scenario nullify their efforts?

Then there is Harry Kane.

Bookies have him as a favorite and the numbers, frankly, back it up. Treble for Bayern. A European Golden Shoe. England to a World Cup semi-final. If he wins this he will be the first English Ballon d’Or winner since Michael Owen. 2001.

Give it a moment to settle in.

And of course there is Yamal, too. As is Mbappé. Messi's 17th nomination is just absurd at this point in his career.

But this is what made me hesitate.

Ronaldo is not on the list.

No nomination. Nothing.

I don't know how you take that as a fan of his. Even if we’ve said that before and been wrong, it feels like the end of an era.

The ceremony itself is also different this year. London, not Paris. First time in 70 years. They're doing it in honor of the first winner, Stanley Matthews, in 1956.

Who actually ends up carrying it home?

I think PSG are in a bit of trouble here. Too many votes going too many different ways. That could just clear the runway for Kane.

I might be mistaken.

Who do you pick? But more importantly, who got snubbed that should have made this list? ⚽