The ten favourites to win the award as nominees introduced

The Ballon d’Or is fashionable soccer’s high particular person prize. For the reason that award was opened as much as footballers from world wide in 2007, it has grow to be an emblem of footballing greatness – particularly as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo shared the golden ball solely between them from 2008 as much as 2017.

However with each out of the operating for the No 1 spot this time round, a brand new king will probably be topped. The ladies’s equal, the Ballon d’Or Feminin, can also be awarded through the ceremony, with the likes of Chelsea’s Lauren James and Lucy Bronze amongst these nominated.

Right here is the important thing data surrounding the occasion and a listing of who’s in line to take residence this yr’s Ballon d’Or.

2024 Ballon d’Or ceremony date and venue

The 2024 Ballon d’Or is ready to happen on Monday twenty eighth October 2024 at Théâtre du Châtelet, Paris, France, at 8pm.

The place to look at the Ballon d’Or 2024

There hasn’t been any official data on precisely the place to look at the 2024 Ballon d’Or simply but, however final yr’s was broadcast totally free by many various broadcasters similar to TNT Sports activities.

Ballon d’Or 2023 winners

Lionel Messi picked up Ballon d’Or quantity eight in 2023, pipping Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappé to the award. The Argentinian captained his nation to the World Cup in Qatar, ending a 36-year look forward to the South Individuals to grow to be world champions once more.

Barcelona’s Aitana Bonmati gained the ladies’s award, after a yr that noticed her win Spain’s Liga F, the Girls’s Champions League and the World Cup.

Right here is the checklist of who we consider are the ten favourites to elevate the boys’s Ballon d’Or in 2024:

10

Dani Olmo

Barcelona

Whereas Dani Olmo’s objective involvement file is not as dazzling because the others on this checklist, everyone knows that’s removed from the be-all and end-all on the subject of defining high quality.

However revisionism is commonly rife when the Ballon d’Or is anxious, and Olmo’s excellent shows for Spain of their victorious Euro 2024 marketing campaign might nicely get him within the dialog. His very nomination is arguably proof of that, whereas his latest transfer to Barcelona has saved him within the highlight.

9

Bukayo Saka

Arsenal

Bukayo Saka was one of many foremost driving forces behind Arsenal’s quest for the Premier League title and their Champions League journey, which ended by the hands of Bayern Munich. He is provide you with various key objectives and assists, which included a run of seven objectives in 5 video games early within the yr to assist propel the Gunners right into a promising place.

Nevertheless, his trophyless marketing campaign will not have completed a lot for his Ballon d’Or prospects, even when he can maintain his head excessive after a stellar marketing campaign.

8

Harry Kane

Bayern Munich

Harry Kane had an excellent marketing campaign with Bayern Munich individually, however the German membership’s dismal try at defending the Bundesliga title and a scarcity of silverware has considerably forged a shadow over his particular person performances.

He may nicely have firmly been within the dialogue forward of the summer season, however with Bayern faltering within the Champions League and England falling on the ultimate hurdle within the European Championship – a match throughout which his shows had been panned – he is certainly extra more likely to have fallen behind within the race.

7

Florian Wirtz

Bayer Leverkusen

Florian Wirtz had the largest breakthrough season on this checklist, having performed a large half in Bayer Leverkusen’s rise to the highest of the Bundesliga in 2023/24. The German facet had been one match away from a historic unbeaten treble, and one wonders the place they’d be with out Wirtz.

The 21-year-old continued his tremendous type at his residence Euros, which included two objectives – one a late equaliser within the quarter-final. It is onerous to say the place he put a foot unsuitable final time period, although it is possible the burden of the competitors forward of him that may cease him claiming the highest prize.

He’ll certainly be within the dialog within the years to come back.

6

Kylian Mbappé

Actual Madrid

Kylian Mbappé’s brutal goalscoring streak despatched Paris Saint-Germain to yet one more Ligue 1 title final season.

He additionally confirmed up on the largest levels, delivering a devastating blow to Barcelona’s Champions League hopes by steering PSG into the semi-finals with a double within the second leg of their quarter-final.

He additionally hit 52 objectives for membership and nation final time period – solely Harry Kane can match that on this checklist. Mbappe’s Actual Madrid transfer might but propel his path to everlasting stardom even additional, however his home and worldwide campaigns ended on comparatively bitter notes – which is not the biggest omen on the subject of Ballons d’Or.

5

Jude Bellingham

Actual Madrid

Jude Bellingham continues to defy expectations at Actual Madrid, regardless of being simply 21 years of age. He took to La Liga soccer (and the long-lasting No 5 jersey at Madrid) like a duck to water, netting 10 instances in his first 10 video games – a run which included a match-winning double away to Barcelona.

A real star within the making, Bellingham capped his first marketing campaign in Spain with a La Liga and Champions League double. He then continued to guide in moments for England on the European Championship, with the previous Birmingham Metropolis teenager’s overhead kick saving the Three Lions from a humiliating last-16 exit.

However having fallen brief within the ultimate, he might not have had all of the components to be a surefire Ballon d’Or winner this yr, however he is going the appropriate method about claiming one within the not-too-distant future.

4

Phil Foden

Manchester Metropolis

Phil Foden threatened to overshadow Erling Haaland’s accomplishments at Manchester Metropolis final season, which is saying one thing.

The Englishman’s type in direction of the top of the marketing campaign hurled Metropolis to a fourth straight Premier League title, whereas his big-game prowess continues to develop, with Foden netting in Man Metropolis’s enthralling draw within the Champions League.

His objectives additionally successfully sealed Metropolis’s newest title, whereas he was a key a part of England’s run to the Euro 2024 ultimate. One other season like that and he’ll be nicely within the operating for the highest prizes in soccer – and never simply the staff ones.

3

Erling Haaland

Manchester Metropolis

There was nothing extra Erling Haaland may have completed after lacking out on the 2023 Ballon d’Or, however could possibly be in with a shout now that Messi is out of the best way.

As talked about, he wasn’t essentially one of the best participant in his staff final time period due to the type of Phil Foden, although his begin to the present marketing campaign has reminded everybody how is likely one of the most deadly strikers in world soccer.

He might not have had a global match to showcase his abilities, however that hardly issues once you put up the sorts of numbers he does. There certainly cannot be many higher than Haaland within the recreation proper now.

2

Vinícius Júnior

Actual Madrid

Accidents held Vinícius Júnior again in direction of the beginning of the marketing campaign, however he is been nothing in need of sensational since, turning into the star man in one of the best staff on the planet.

His efforts had been integral to Actual Madrid claiming a fifteenth European crown, whereas there have been instances when it felt as if he was on the very high of his recreation.

He may stroll into any staff on this planet, and if that does not make him a first-rate Ballon d’Or contender, we do not know what’s going to.

1

Rodri

Manchester Metropolis

When Man Metropolis misplaced the FA Cup ultimate this yr, it was the primary time in over a yr that Rodri misplaced a recreation for Manchester Metropolis. The Spaniard is a key motive for his facet’s success, and has even managed so as to add extra objectives and assists to his recreation up to now yr.

When Rodri steps onto a soccer pitch, there’s nearly a way that he will probably be on the appropriate facet of the end result, a method or one other. There was a motive there was optimism when he was substituted halfway by way of the Euro 2024 ultimate this summer season.

Sadly for England (and the remainder of his opponents), he ended up on the profitable facet as soon as extra in Germany as he capped an excellent marketing campaign with winners’ medals for membership and nation.

When you do not put a foot unsuitable and have a number of items of silverware to again it up, it is onerous to guess in opposition to somebody like that. Ballon d’Or awards do not typically go to essentially the most deserving participant (one would argue a World Cup wasn’t sufficient for Messi final yr), however Rodri would definitely be a worthy winner.