The Ballon d’Or 2023 nominees list has finally been revealed
France Football has just unveiled the list of nominees for the 2023 Ballon d’Or,
Among the prominent stars featured in the list are Lionel Messi, Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappé, and the previous year’s winner, Karim Benzema.
The Spanish national team, the reigning world champions, is also well-represented with five players in the women’s list.
However, the notable absence is that of Cristiano Ronaldo, who has won the Ballon d’Or five times in the past.
Ronaldo now plays for the Saudi club al-Nassr and was not nominated this time around.
Lionel Messi, Ronaldo’s eternal rival, is considered the favorite to win his eighth Ballon d’Or, despite his move from PSG to Inter Miami in the MLS.
In Florida, Messi has continued to impress, accumulating goals and assists at an impressive rate.
However, the new generation is also present, symbolized by young Norwegian star Erling Haaland (23 years old) and French sensation Kylian Mbappé (24 years old). Haaland has already won the UEFA Player of the Season for 2022-2023, thanks to his remarkable 52 goals in all competitions during his debut season with Manchester City, including a record-breaking 39 in the Premier League.
Mbappé, on the other hand, played a pivotal role in the 2022 World Cup final, scoring a hat-trick in response to Messi’s brace. He netted 36 goals in 42 appearances for PSG last season and has kicked off the new season with five goals in just three Ligue 1 matches.
Among the newcomers on the list are English prodigy Jude Bellingham, who was signed by Real Madrid this summer, along with his compatriot and “Three Lions” teammate Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), young German talent Jamal Musiala from Bayern Munich, and the new PSG striker, Randal Kolo Muani.
In the realm of women’s football, the Spanish national team, who were crowned world champions in Australia and New Zealand this summer, has placed five players on the list, with four of them representing FC Barcelona: Aitana Bonmati (UEFA award winner), Patricia Guijarro, Mapi Leon, and Salma Paralluelo. The fifth player, Olga Carmona, scored the lone goal in the final against England and plays for Real Madrid.
Despite their acknowledged absence from the World Cup, Patricia Guijarro and Mapi Leon were nominated, as they were among the players who refused to play under former coach Jorge Vilda, who was dismissed following the tournament.
However, Alexia Putellas, the Ballon d’Or winner in 2021 and 2022, is not on the list due to a serious knee injury that kept her off the field for most of the season.
Let’s recall that among the nominees,there are four African players : Mohamed Salah, André Onana, Yassine Bounou, and Victor Osimhen.
The Ballon d’Or 2023 award ceremony will take place on October 30th in Paris.
