Meet the nominees for the 2024 Ballon d'Or

MADRID, Spain.- On October 28, the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris will be the setting for the 68th Ballon d’Or ceremony. The award, given by the magazine France Football, It is one of the most coveted awards in football, recognising the best male and female player of the season.

Men’s Ballon d’Or

This year, three footballers are emerging as the main candidates: Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), Rodri (Manchester City) and Vinicius Jr. (Real Madrid). However, other players high-profile players such as Kylian Mbappé (Real Madrid), Erling Haaland (Manchester City), Lamine Yamal (Barcelona), Federico Valverde (Real Madrid), Harry Kane (Bayern Munich) and Dani Carvajal (Real Madrid) are also in the running.

The absence of Lionel Messiwho has won the award more times than any other footballer, and Cristiano Ronaldo, his main rival in the last decade, marks a generational change in football. Despite a year with achievements such as the Copa América and a good performance at Inter Miami, Messi is not among the nominees. This fact suggests the end of the Messi-CR7 era and opens the way for a new generation of talents who will seek to be crowned with the Ballon d’Or.

2024 Nominees

Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid)
Ruben Dias (Manchester City)
Phil Foden (Manchester City)
Federico Valverde (Real Madrid)
Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa)
Erling Haaland (Manchester City)
Nico Williams (Atletic Bilbao)
Granit Xhaka (Bayer Leverkusen)
Artem Dovbik (AS Roma, formerly Girona)
Toni Kroos (Real Madrid)
Vinicius Jr. (Real Madrid)
Danil Olmo (FC Barcelona, formerly RB Leipzig)
Florian Wirtz (Bayer Leverkusen)
Martin Odegaard (Arsenal)
Mats Hummels (Borussia Dortmund)
Rodri (Manchester City)
Harry Kane (Bayern Munich)
Declan Rice (Arsenal)
Vitinha (PSG)
Cole Palmer (Chelsea, formerly Manchester City)
Dani Carvajal (Real Madrid)
Lamine Yamal (FC Barcelona)
Bukayo Saka (Arsenal)
Hakan Çalhanoğlu (Inter Milan)
William Saliba (Arsenal)
Kylian Mbappé (Real Madrid, formerly PSG)
Lautaro Martinez (Inter Milan)
Ademola Lookman (Atalanta)
Antonio Rudiger (Real Madrid)
Alejandro Grimaldo (Bayer Leverkusen)

Women’s Ballon d’Or

The women’s Ballon d’Or does not have as long a history as its men’s counterpart. The women’s category was introduced in 2018, marking a milestone in the appreciation of women’s football. Previously, FIFA had recognised the best players since 2001 with the FIFA World Player Award, but neither this award nor the FIFA Ballon d’Or (which was awarded between 2010 and 2015, after the temporary merger with FIFA) have been awarded to women’s footballers. France Football) are considered part of the history of the current women’s Ballon d’Or.

Since its creation in 2018, the award has been presented on the same day as the men’s Ballon d’Or, reflecting the importance and growth of women’s football in recent years.

Thirty players are competing for the 2024 Ballon d’Or award. Aitana Bonmatí (Barcelona) is the leading candidate after a brilliant season: she won the Women’s World Cup, the Nations League with Spain and multiple titles with Barcelona, scoring 19 goals in 40 games. Alexia Putellasalso from Barcelona and winner in 2021 and 2022, returns as a strong contender after recovering from an injury. Salma Paralluelo, with 53 games and 39 goals, represents the new generation of Spanish football.

2024 Nominees