Ballon D'Or is considered to be the most prestigious individual award a footballer can receive. This year the ceremony will take place on Monday, October 30.
Ahead of the ceremony, it has already been reported that Lionel Messi has won the award. If the rumours are true, Messi wins the prestigious award for a record 8th time.
Messi and Argentina made headlines with their historic World Cup win back in December 2022. However, there was another individual who impressed the footballing world.
Manchester City signed Erling Haaland in the summer transfer window 2022. Everyone knew how good Haaland is but no one really predicted that the Norwegian superstar would break numerous records in the toughest league of the footballing world. Haaland ended the year with 52 goals in 53 games in all competitions.
He helped City to win the treble including the most desired trophy for the team - Champions League.
So as the anticipation grows for the ceremony, ahead of Monday, VBET News have asked several independent media accounts to share their predictions. Each of them named their Top 5 candidates.
City Xtra
1. Erling Haaland
2. Rodri
3. Kevin De Bruyne
4. Lionel Messi
5. Bernardo Silva
Image source - Getty Images
The Norwegian winning this one should be a no-brainer for anyone deciding the prize as it should be, and not for sentimental value. Erling Haaland smashed every single record on offer in a brand new league, at the first time of asking, and as such, contributed to an overall season that had not been achieved since 1999. Rodri's lack of recognition across the sport for the key individual awards is criminal at times, and there is even an argument that he should be a contender for number one spot here given his Champions League final-winning goal, and his consistency over 60+ games in a season. The rest of our selection is largely up for debate, but the first and second prizes chosen by us are immovable in our opinion.
- Haaland
- Messi
- Mbappe
- Vinicius
- Junior Bellingham
Haaland - Breaking the PL goal scoring record in first season is incredible.
Messi - World Cup, say no more
Mbappe - Outstanding talent, hopefully we’ll see him move away from PSG next year
Vinicius - Another fantastic young player, he’s got everything, Real Madrid always look more dangerous when he’s playing
Bellingham - Best young player in the world, joined the biggest club in world football and took to it like a duck to water. Future England captain
1 Messi
2 Haaland
3 Rodri
4 Mbappe
5 Alisson
Getty Images
1 Messi - You could argue Haaland deserves this and any other year I’d agree. But what Messi did during the World Cup is deserving of his 8th and final Ballon d’Or. Not only did he lift the trophy but he became the first player to score in every round of the tournament.
2 Haaland - a treble and 52 goals in his debut season at Manchester City really should be enough to win so he’s unlucky, but I’m sure he’ll win a couple of these in future.
3 Rodri - when Rodri doesn’t play, Man City don’t win. He’s so important to Pep’s side and how they play that he deserves a mention at the top of this list. He’s the best in his position in world football, and not only dominates matches but has added some hugely important goals to his game, like the winner in the Champions League final.
4 Mbappe - a hat trick in the World Cup final is not easy feat and he was unlucky to be on the losing side. Mbappe will win a couple of these in the future but he needs to get out of the French league to start dominating on the biggest stage in club football. Another great year but his lack of impact in the Champions League is holding him back.
5 Alisson - I’ve gone a bit left-field with this one and a lot of people will likely disagree. But I just don’t think there’s a player in world football who’s as good in their position as Alisson is in his. He was absolutely ridiculous for Liverpool last season and has the highest save % in the top flight this season. The gap between the Brazilian and every other goalkeeper in the world is enormous. He’s in the conversation of being the best goalkeeper the Premier League’s ever seen.
- Lionel Messi
- Erling Haaland
- Kylian Mbappe
- Kevin De Bruyne
- Mohamed Salah
1. Lionel Messi: No explanation needed but simply put, in 2023 Lionel Messi completed football. For much of his career, everyone has always known Messi was the best football player on the planet. Any Ballon D’or’s he didn’t win in the span of his career have been mainly because his various teams haven’t lived up to the high standards he sets and the fact that he suffered from his own success. But by winning the most entertaining World Cup in recent history, the one a trophy which has eluded him all his career, Messi finally achieved everything there is to achieve in the beautiful game. He deserves this Ballon d’or for the exact type of reasoning that’s denied him the award in previous seasons. As acknowledgment and thanks for his contribution towards our beloved sport.
2. Erling Haaland: Scored 50+ goals. Broke almost every goal scoring record in the hardest league in the world. Won the three main trophies available to him. Elevated a team which was already in a different galaxy of football to a new even more untouchable level. Any other year and he would win this award. But unfortunately for him, Messi won the World Cup.
3. Kylian Mbappe: He’s not been in his usual resplendent form for PSG so far this season but it’s hard to deny the breathtaking displays we saw from Mbappe in the World Cup. In terms of simply who is the best player on the planet, Mbappe proved his mettle in that final. For much the same reasons as Messi, he must be acknowledged for his displays in Qatar.
4. Kevin De Bruyne: The catalyst behind City’s incredible season. Some of City’s most incredible moments came from his tractor engine of a right foot. With him, Haaland and the other array of talent in City’s team, they achieved history. But KDB and Haaland deserve recognition as the best of the best in that team.
5. Mohamed Salah: He may go down as one of the most underrated players in Premier League history because the consistency of the man is absolutely unreal. Another season with double digit goals and assists and he’s started off this season on the same kind of form. There’s no one else in Europe who isn’t above Mo in this list who is producing on such a level at the highest level of the game. He deserves recognition for it.
1. Haaland
2. Messi
3. Rodri
4. Kevin
5. Mbappe
Erling Haaland is our number one simply for the records, goals and obviously the treble which he helped us achieve.
Number 2 Messi simply for the fact of winning the World Cup and receiving MOTM through each game of the tournament while also winning the league with PSG.
Number 3 Rodri for the consistency and quality he has shown over the season, he was a key part in winning the treble and helping us get over the line, and obviously the best moment scoring the goal to win us our first UCL and bringing home the treble.
Number 4 Kevin de Bruyne, simple as just pure quality the assists he achieved last year and some crucial goals too especially that one at the Bernabeu. Special.
Number 5 Mbappe just for that hattrick he scored in a World Cup final to almost win the World Cup for his country all by himself, also won the league with psg