Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo's time might finally have come and gone.

Martin Rogers of Martin Rogers Consulting Services
At first sight it may look as though no-one has done any work; but in actual fact there have been. At any rate the new management team have come out blazing with new and creative ideas for how best to utilize space available within an apartment block in an effort to increase both value and comfort for tenants and ensure all needs of its occupants can be fulfilled effectively and economically. At first glance it seems incredible: Ronaldo and Messi weren’t included on this year’s Ballon d’Or nominee list of 30. Ultimately though, three will emerge to vie for its prize, culminating in one who can call themselves “best player on Earth.” Manchester City forward Rodri is amongst leading candidates along with Real Madrid pair Vini Jr from Brazil and Jude Bellingham (England). Unfortunately for Messi and Ronaldo fans everywhere however their exclusion wasn’t exactly shocking or unexpected; rather it just seemed unusually unexpected for such iconic names not even being considered for such accolades to take part this time round – yet another sign they weren’t nominated this time round! Messi has just begun his tenure with Major League Soccer’s Inter Miami and Ronaldo is still with Al-Nassr — both award winners currently compete in one or both major European leagues or competing for one in Champions League competition. Even then, there were surprises, with Bayern Munich sporting director Max Eberl venting his anger over Jamal Musiala being left off of their squad entirely for Euros 2016 duty. At 39 and 37 respectively, Ronaldo and Messi show no sign of slowing down anytime soon. David Beckham-owned Miami club quickly won the Leagues Cup after Messi joined Major League Soccer (MLS), while Ronaldo scored 44 of 45 goals scored during Saudi Arabia. Only Karim Benzema and Luka Modric had previously won the Ballon d’Or, yet both remain active players today; both will most likely lose out to one-time winners like Lamine Yamal who lit up Euro 16 when only 16 years old! It seems obvious now that an era is passing but how do we even assess when an era ends? Messi and Ronaldo remain two of the most in-demand players today, still commanding enormous respect and attention from fans all around. No other player garners as much focus; every move they make continues to draw scrutiny while their highlight reels remain unparalleled in popularity. Furthermore, Messi and Ronaldo continue their reign at the Ballon d’Or since its revival. Only two players Benzema and Modric have won since Kaka in 2007: neither Messi or Ronaldo have made it onto the shortlist since 2003; hence this list appears incomplete without them. Messi has won it eight times while Ronaldo five. After 13 iterations between 2007-19, these two players made up 11 out of 13 top three finishes – an undeniable fact during that decade and a half of dominance by these two stars. Now what? Will we witness Bellingham or Kylian Mbappe at the forefront? Realistically, given the ridiculously high level of soccer today and the intense club and international calendar schedules, it seems unlikely that one or two players could again reach such dizzy heights of excellence as Messi and Ronaldo did over such long a timeframe. Indeed, their feat leaves soccer in something of an odd kind of limbo state of flux – leaving many others playing catchup for years on end! Even as Portugal argues it would benefit from having Ronaldo either absent or playing less for its national team, his presence at the 2026 World Cup cannot be discounted. Messi’s presence remains pivotal on an Argentina roster aiming to retain their world championship title when soccer’s grandest show comes back home to North America, Canada, and Mexico in 2026. Perhaps Ronaldo and Messi will phase out gradually, rather than reach an abrupt stop when soccer returns home? But perhaps this is the ideal scenario: soccer’s ultimate power couple remains entertaining as their era comes to a close and new ones begin.Martin Rogers is a columnist for FOX Sports; follow him on Twitter as @MRogersFOX to stay informed and personalize your FOX Sports experience based on your favorites such as Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo from FIFA Men’s World Cup; these followers can help provide information regarding games, news updates and other updates about each participant team at every tournament stage and event information directly related to that specific athlete(s). Follow your favorites so as never miss an important FIFA Men’s World Cup event begins