Towards an eighth Ballon d’Or for Lionel Messi? On Wednesday, September 6, the list of nominees for the Ballon d’Or 2023 was unveiled. Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé, Erling Haaland or even Karim Benzema are included. On the women’s side, five players from the Spanish team, crowned world champions last August, are present.
Cristiano Ronaldo, five-time holder of the supreme individual award, exiled to the Saudi club al-Nassr, is not named. His historic rival, the Argentinian Messi, world champion and hero of the final against France at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, is favorite to win an eighth Ballon d’Or, despite his departure in the summer from PSG to Inter. Miami and the American MLS, much less raised than the European championships. ‘Leo’ Messi has nonetheless stacked up goals and assists since arriving in Florida.
He is now in competition with the new generation symbolized by the Norwegian stars Erling Haaland (23 years old) and French Kylian Mbappé (24 years old).
The former won the UEFA trophy for the best player of the 2022-2023 season, scoring a whopping 52 goals in all competitions for his first season with Manchester City, including 39 in the Premier League – a record. The second was the other protagonist in the 2022 World Cup final, scoring the hat-trick to respond to Messi’s brace. He scored 36 goals in 42 games for PSG last season and started the new season on a high note with five goals in three Ligue 1 games already.
On the women’s side, the Spanish selection, which won the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand this summer, places five players, including four from FC Barcelona – Aitana Bonmati (winner of the UEFA prize), Patricia Guijarro, Mapi Leon, Salma Paralluelo. The fifth, Olga Carmona, the only scorer in the final against England, comes to Real Madrid.
Patricia Guijarro and Mapi Leon were appointed despite their assumed absence from this World Cup: they were among the “rebellious” refusing to play under the orders of ex-coach Jorge Vilda, sacked since the final in the turmoil of the Luis affair Rubiales. On the other hand, their compatriot Alexia Putellas, Ballon d’Or in 2021 and 2022, does not appear in the list. Seriously injured in a knee, she has been away from the field for a long time for almost the entire season.
The 2023 Ballon d’Or award ceremony will take place on October 30 in Paris.
