The Ballon d’Or is the most prestigious individual award for male and female football players. This year, the ceremony will take place in Paris, France, on 30th October where the winners will be announced.
Messi vs Haaland
With 30 nominated players, Lionel Messi and Erling Haaland are the favourites to win the men’s Ballon d’Or.
Messi is looking to win a historic eighth victory after lifting the 2022 World Cup with Argentina, while Haaland will be hoping to win the award for the first time.
In terms of club football, Haaland has the upper hand. It however must be noted that in years in which the World Cup is played, World Cup performances tend to have the upper hand.
Messi won the 2023 FIFA World Cup with Argentina, after an impressive campaign throughout the tournament. His individual performance was one to marvel at. So much so, that he was awarded the Golden Ball at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
The Argentine maestro won the Ligue 1 title with PSG, finishing his season with 42 goals and 26 assists. Paired with captaining his country at 35 years old to victory, it was the perfect way to complete his World Cup story, he carries a solid argument.
Norway failed to qualify for the tournament after only managing to finish third in their qualification group behind the Netherlands and Turkey. Haaland was therefore unable to make an impression on the footballing world’s biggest stage.
However, in the 2022/23 season, the Norwegian scored 56 goals and had nine assists in all competitions proving himself an important asset. While playing for Manchester City, Haaland was a headlining player. In just his first season in the Premier League, he won the treble with Manchester City, claiming the Premier League, Champions League, and FA Cup. He was named UEFA’s player of the year.
However, a run of just one goal in his final eight games of the 2022/23 season for Man City means he might come up short in 2023.
MEN’S BALLON D’OR 2023 NOMINEES
- Joško Gvardiol (Manchester City)
- Andre Onana (Manchester United)
- Karim Benzema (Al Ittihad)
- Jamal Musiala (Bayern Munich)
- Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
- Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid)
- Bukayo Saka (Arsenal)
- Randal Kolo Muani (Paris Saint Germain)
- Kevin de Bruyne (Manchester City)
- Bernardo Silva (Manchester City)
- Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (Napoli)
- Emiliano Martínez (Aston Villa)
- Ruben Dias (Manchester City)
- Nicola Barella (Inter Milan)
- Erling Haaland (Manchester City)
- Yassine Bounou (Al Hilal)
- Martin Ødegaard (Arsenal)
- Julián Álvarez (Manchester City)
- İlkay Gündoğan (Barcelona)
- Vinícius Júnior (Real Madrid)
- Robert Lewandowski (Barcelona)
- Antoine Griezmann (Atlético Madrid)
- Lautaro Martínez (Aston Villa)
- (Inter MIlan)
- Lionel Messi (Inter Miami)
- Rodri (Barcelona)
- Kylian Mbappé (Paris Saint German)
- Kim Min-Jae (Bayern Munich)
- Victor Osimhen (Napoli)
- Luka Modrić (Real Madrid)
- Harry Kane (Bayern Munich)
Bonmati’s triumph
For the Ballon d’Or Féminin, four members of Spain’s 2023 World Cup-winning squad have been nominated. Tournament Golden Boot winner Aitana Bonmati, Olga Carmona the scorer of the final’s winning goal, Salma Paralluelo who won Young Player of the Tournament as well as Levante’s Alba Redondo are all part of the nominees.
Barcelona pair Mapi Léon and Patri Guijarro are also nominated, making it six Spanish players on the shortlist.
Another Spaniard, Alexia Putellas was the Ballon d’Or winner in both 2021 and 2022. She is however out of this year’s race having missed out on the 2023 World Cup and most of the season recovering from her ACL injury.
Favourite to win the award is Bonmati. The midfielder is part of the Barcelona squad that dominated Liga F. Her team won 28 out of 30 matches in Liga F during the 2022/23 season.
Bonmati had an electrifying season with 40 goals and assists. Having been named Golden Boot winner at the World Cup and UEFA Women’s Player of the Year, the odds seem ever in her favour.
WOMEN’S BALLON D’OR FEMININ 2023 NOMINEES
- Alba Redondo (Levante Union Deportiva)
- Kadidiatou Diani (Lyon)
- Rachel Daly (Aston Villa)
- Linda Caicedo (Real Madrid)
- Fridolina Rolfo (Barcelona)
- Olga Carmona (Real Madrid)
- Amanda Ilestedt (Arsenal)
- Hayley Raso (Real Madrid)
- Georgia Stanway (Bayern Munich)
- Sophia Smith (Portland Thorns)
- Hinata Miyazawa (Manchester United)
- Salma Paralluelo (Barcelona)
- Lena Oberdorf (Wolfsburg)
- Millie Bright (Chelsea)
- Daphne van Domselaar (Aston Villa)
- Sam Kerr (Chelsea)
- Patricia Guijarro (Barcelona)
- Ewa Pajor (Wolfsburg)
- Debinha (Kansas City)
- Guro Reiten (Chelsea)
- Yui Hasegawa (Manchester City)
- Aitana Bonmati (Barcelona)
- Jill Roord (Manchester City)
- Alexandria Popp (Wolfsburg)
- Katie McCabe (Arsenal)
- Mary Earps (Manchester United)
- Wendie Renard (Lyon)
- Mapi Léon (Barcelona)
- Asisat Oshoala (Barcelona)
- Khadija Shaw (Manchester City)