It is that time of the year again. The Ballon d’Or 2023 nominees are out, and Lionel Messi is again the spearhead to win his coveted eighth Ballon d‘Or. However, unlike past years, his rival, Cristiano Ronaldo, is not included in the Ballon d‘Or 2023 nominees. It is the first time since 2003 that the Ballon d‘Or nominee is not featuring the legendary Portuguese. With his exclusion, this marks the end of football’s greatest rivalry, as one of the next-gen superstars, Erling Haaland, will now compete against Messi for his first Ballon d’Or. Will his treble-winning campaign be enough to rival Messi’s World Cup triumph? Check out the nominees and our power ranking below.
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Ballon d‘Or 2023 Nominees
With 30 nominees to dissect and explain, this may take a while. Thus, we will only list the 30 nominees and cover the top 5 favourites to win the Ballon d’Or 2023.
Ballon d’Or 2023 Nominees:
- GK: André Onana, Emiliano Martínez, Yassine Bounou
- DF: Joško Gvardiol, Rúben Dias, Kim Min-jae
- MD: Jamal Musiala, Jude Bellingham, Kevin De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva, Nicolò Barella, Martin Ødegaard, İlkay Gündoğan, Rodri, Luka Modrić
- FW: Karim Benzema, Mohamed Salah, Bukayo Saka, Randal Kolo Muani, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Erling Haaland, Julián Álvarez, Vinicius Junior, Lionel Messi, Lautaro Martínez, Antoine Griezmann, Robert Lewandowski, Kylian Mbappé, Victor Osimhen, Harry Kane
…guess the Ballon d’Or top three! 🏆✨
The official winner will be announced on October 30th in Paris 🇫🇷 pic.twitter.com/9NBtKUMLTf
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) September 6, 2023
Ballon d‘Or 2023 Power Ranking (Top 5)
1. Lionel Messi
Despite a poor showing to his standards in the second half of the 2022-23 season, Messi delivered his qualities when it really mattered, at the FIFA World Cup. To put into perspective, Messi scored seven goals, including two in the final, and won the Golden Ball after a series of mesmerising displays.
Furthermore, he also won Ligue 1 and Trophée des Champions in his spell with PSG while contributing 42 goals and 26 assists throughout his year. While people may argue that Haaland should be first in almost every power ranking list for the Ballon d’Or 2023, Messi completed football last season, and it will be a fitting end for him to win his eighth before passing the torch.
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2. Erling Haaland
Erling Haaland is and will be Messi’s closest competitor for the Ballon d’Or 2023, as the Norwegian broke countless records over the course of last season. In fact, it seemed inevitable that he would be the frontrunner for the Ballon d’Or 2023 in late April last year, but Messi’s World Cup triumph has shaken up people’s opinion on who to place first.
To put into perspective, Haaland won the Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup last season while contributing 56 goals and 9 assists. Thus, the ruling factor between Haaland supporters and Messi supporters will be whether Haaland’s treble-winning season outweighs Messi’s World Cup triumph. However, considering the World Cup is the most prestigious trophy in football, Haaland will likely fall just short behind Messi.
Erling Haaland wins the treble in his first season with City.
It’s what they signed him for 😤 pic.twitter.com/W8a5pAVIoL
— B/R Football (@brfootball) June 10, 2023
3. Kevin De Bruyne
Like his Norwegian teammate, Kevin De Bruyne was instrumental in City’s treble-winning campaign. In the 2022-23 season, the Belgian was undoubtedly the best midfielder in the world and the best playmaker of his generation, as he contributed 10 goals and 32 assists.
However, considering his tragic luck in the Champions League final and a disastrous World Cup for Belgium, De Brunye will likely miss out on the Ballon d’Or 2023 as he hopes to provide a final assist to secure his teammate’s victory.
🇧🇪🧠 Thierry Henry says Kevin De Bruyne is the best midfielder & creator he has seen in the Premier League ‘by a distance’ pic.twitter.com/x0E3cUnA3H
— EuroFoot (@eurofootcom) July 17, 2023
4. Kylian Mbappé
Kylian Mbappé is confidence personification as he deems himself worthy of winning the Ballon d’Or 2023, and we cannot argue that he has a good case for himself. Disregarding his Ligue 1 and Trophée des Champions triumphs, Mbappé was the sole reason France almost won the World Cup against Argentina.
To put into perspective, Mbappé is only the second player in history to score a hat-trick in the World Cup final as he dragged his lacklustre team out of the dirt thrice. Combined with his 55 goals and 14 assists last year, we can see why he is confident of a potential first Ballon d’Or. However, considering that Ballon d’Or weights winning trophies higher, Mbappé’s unfortunate loss in the final and his early departure from the Champions League will see him fall behind his rivals, Haaland and Messi.
Kylian Mbappe is the first player to score a World Cup final hat-trick since England’s Geoff Hurst in 1966 🔥🔥🔥 #FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/0vuC3LAtOl
— Farid Khan (@_FaridKhan) December 18, 2022
5. Julian Alvarez
If the Ballon d’Or 2023 is judged based on just accolades, Julian Alvarez will undoubtedly win as he won the World Cup, Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup last season. If Messi and Haaland was the star for Argentina and City, Alvarez was their crucial sidekick for their triumphs, as his 23 goals and 6 assists contributed to their major success.
However, considering that name value also weighed in the players voting for the Ballon d’Or 2023, we can see Alvarez falling just shy of the more renowned player on our list. Nonetheless, Alvarez can be content with being the most decorated footballer on the planet for the 2022-23 campaign and compete for the coveted trophy in the future.
Julian Alvarez can’t stop winning trophies 😅
(h/t @RoyNemer) pic.twitter.com/ZRQgbzwZwI
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) June 11, 2023
Takeaways
Regardless of whether Messi or Haaland wins the Ballon d’Or 2023, there will definitely be cries of controversy and rumours circulating about the eventual winner. Thus, stay tuned to the Ballon d’Or 2023 ceremony on October 30th and our site as we cover the latest happening in the world of sports.
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