The 30-man list for the 2023 Ballon d’Or has been released and there are potential names that have been touted as favorites to go home with the award.
Karim Benzema is the current holder of the Ballon d’Or, and he is also still in the running for the 2023 edition of the award.
However, Benzema isn’t a favorite for the famous individual honor, but his performances in the 2022/23 season has earned him a place in the list.
Anyway, these are the top 10 nominees, who exhibited quality during the 2022/23 season and who have been tipped as potential favorites to win the individual crown.
2023 Ballon d’Or power rankings
10) Julian Alvarez – Manchester City/Argentina
The 23-year-old scored 23 goals and provided 6 assists during the 2022/23 season, helping the Citizens win the treble; UEFA Champions League, UEFA Champions League, and FA Cup.
Alvarez also assisted Argentina to win the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, and he is the player with the most trophies on this list.
He has been tipped as a possible winner of the crown, due to his exploits and achievements during the 2022/23 season.
9) IIkay Gundogan – Manchester City/Germany
The 32-year-old was Mr Inspirational for Pep Guardiola’s side last term, scoring important goals that helped his former side win the UEFA Champions League, FA Cup, and Premier League.
Gundogan was the captain of Manchester City last season, and he scored 13 goals and provided 7 assists during the 2022/23 season.
IIkay Gundogan scored important goals throughout the season, including a brace in the FA Cup final, against Manchester United.
8) Rodri – Manchester City/Spain
The Spaniard eschewed class in the 2022/23 season for Manchester City, providing solidity at the center of the park.
Rodri scored 4 goals and provided 7 assists for the Citizens last term, and he also produced quality internationally with Spain.
The 27-year-old was also in the victorious Manchester City side that won the treble – UEFA Champions League, FA Cup, and Premier League.
Internationally, he assisted Spain to win its first UEFA Nations League title.
7) Robert Lewandowski – Barcelona/Poland
Lewandowski scored 36 goals and provided 11 assists for Barcelona last season, and despite not being a top favorite for the award, he contributed his quota to the Blaugrana side last season.
The 35-year-old helped the Catalan giants to win the La Liga and Supercopa de Espana last season.
6) Victor Osimhen – Napoli/Nigeria
Osimhen had an outstanding season with Napoli last season, scoring 33 goals and providing 5 assists across all competitions.
The 24-year-old led Napoli to the Scudetto for the first time in 33 years, and he also assisted the club to a quarter-final finish in the UEFA Champions League.
5) Vinicius Jr – Real Madrid/Brazil
Vinicius etched his name into the current crop of world-class players in football, with a magnificent showing last season.
He scored 25 goals and recorded 26 assists for the 2022/23 season, winning the Copa Del Rey, Club World Cup, and UEFA Super Cup.
The 23-year-old might be winning the award, but if he continues churning out remarkable performances, then, he could be a future recipient of the Ballon d’Or.
4) Kevin De Bruyne – Manchester City/Belgium
De Bruyne has continued to carry Manchester City on his lofty shoulders, creating a truckload of chances.
He helped Manchester City win the UEFA Champions League, English Premier League, and English FA last term.
The 32-year-old scored 10 goals and provided 32 assists for the Etihad club last term, and he rose to the occasion many times during the 2022/23 season.
3) Kylian Mbappe – Paris Saint Germain/ France
Mbappe won the Ligue 1 and Trophée des Champions, and he scored 55 goals and provided 14 assists for Paris Saint Germain last term.
The Frenchman was sublime during the 2022/23 season, and he also eschewed that brilliance at the World Cup.
The 24-year-old also won the Golden Boot at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, finishing as the top-scorer with 8 goals.
2) Lionel Messi – Paris Saint Germain/Argentina
The Argentine was remarkable during the 2022/23 season, scoring 42 goals and providing 26 assists in all competitions.
Messi looks poised to win his 8th Ballon d’Or, but it is uncertain if he will be going home with the gong, although many have tipped him as the top favorite for the award.
The 36-year-old won the Ligue 1 and Trophée des Champions with Paris Saint Germain, and internationally, Lionel Messi won the elusive FIFA World Cup title.
1) Erling Haaland – Manchester City/Norway
Europe’s hottest striker and goal machine, Haaland scored 56 goals and provided 9 assists across all competitions.
He won the UEFA Champions League, Premier League, and FA Cup, in a record-breaking season last term, as he became the player with the most goals scored in a single Premier League season, with 36 goals.
The 23-year-old also finished as the top-scorer for the UEFA Champions League last season, with 12 goals in 11 appearances.
Erling Haaland was devastating in front of goal, producing magical scenes that helped Manchester City achieve unprecedented success last season.
Probable winner of the 2023 Ballon d’Or award:
It is a tight one, as Lionel Messi and Erling Haaland both achieved monstrous feats last season.
The allure of the FIFA World Cup might give Messi an edge, but Haaland also won the treble with Manchester City.
Recall in 2010, that despite reaching the final of the 2010 World Cup with Netherlands, Wesley Sneijder didn’t win the Ballon d’Or, in what many have over the years termed to be a controversial award.
Also, Cristiano Ronaldo edged Manuel Neuer to win the Ballon d’Or, despite the German goalkeeper winning the World Cup.
Anyway, if the “individuality” of the award is what France Football does take into cognizance, then Erling Haaland should be going home with the award, given his contributions to Manchester City.
He also helped Manchester City win the treble; Premier League, FA Cup, and UEFA Champions League, assisting the Citizens to become the second English club to win the treble.
The Etihad club also won the UEFA Champions League title for the first time in their history, and this can be attributed to the impact of Erling Haaland.
Before the 2010 FIFA World Cup, any player who played a leading role for his nation at the Mundial always went home with the gong.
However, the 2010 Ballon d’Or distorted history and that precedence was also witnessed in the 2014 edition.
In that case, Erling Haaland looks like the probable winner of the 2023 Ballon d’Or award for 2023, given his immense contributions.
Meanwhile, that is not to undermine the World Cup success of Argentine great Lionel Messi.
