The enthusiasm in sports is mounting as the competition for this year’s Ballon d’Or heats up. Lionel Messi and Erling Haaland, two footballing giants are at the top of the list of nominees for the prized award. Meanwhile, the women’s category sees Aitana Bonmati, a standout star of Spain’s World Cup triumph, leading the pack of nominees.
Lionel Messi, who recently moved from Paris Saint-Germain to Inter Miami, is aiming for an unprecedented eighth Ballon d’O title. His leadership in Argentina’s World Cup victory in Qatar last year has placed him in a strong position to clinch the prestigious award.
However, Messi faces stiff competition from Erling Haaland, the prolific Norwegian striker. Haaland’s remarkable record of 52 goals in 53 games was instrumental in Manchester City’s historic treble win, which included the Champions League, Premier League, and FA Cup last season. He’s also earned recognition as the UEFA Player of the Year for the previous season.
Among the 30 nominees for the Ballon d’Or, familiar names like PSG’s Kylian Mbappe and Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne are in contention. The winner will be revealed at a glittering ceremony set to take place in Paris on October 30.
Adding to the intrigue, Karim Benzema, a Real Madrid legend who recently made a high-profile move to Saudi club Al-Ittihad, is also in the mix.
HERE ARE ALL THE BALLON D'OR NOMINEES! 🌕✨#ballondor pic.twitter.com/hg1ZByzhDV
— Ballon d'Or #ballondor (@ballondor) September 6, 2023
In the women’s category, Aitana Bonmati is the standout favorite. Her exceptional performance was pivotal in Spain’s World Cup triumph in Sydney last month, and she played a key role in Barcelona’s Champions League success. Bonmati aims to follow in the footsteps of her illustrious teammate, Alexia Putellas, a two-time Ballon d’Or winner, who is not among the nominees this year due to an injury that kept her out of action for nine months.
The list of nominees includes four members of Spain’s victorious World Cup squad: Olga Carmona, Salma Paralluelo, Alba Redondo, Patricia Guijarro, and Mapi Leon, both from Barcelona, are also in contention. Interestingly, Guijarro and Leon did not participate in the World Cup as part of a protest against the Spanish federation and coach Jorge Vilda, along with a group of 15 players last year.
