FULL LIST Of Ballon d’Or Nominees Emerge

FULL LIST Of Ballon d’Or Nominees Emerge

Lionel Messi and Erling Haaland stand out as leading contenders for this year’s men’s Ballon d’Or, while Aitana Bonmati, Spain’s World Cup standout, leads the list of nominees unveiled on Wednesday for the women’s award.

Messi, who recently transitioned from Paris Saint-Germain to Inter Miami, has a strong chance of securing his eighth Ballon d’Or in an illustrious career, following his role in Argentina’s World Cup triumph in Qatar last year.

Haaland emerges as a prominent rival for the prize after netting 52 goals in 53 matches, instrumental in Manchester City’s historic treble of Champions League, Premier League, and FA Cup victories last season. He recently clinched the UEFA Player of the Year accolade for the same period.

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Kylian Mbappe from PSG and Kevin De Bruyne, Haaland’s teammate at City, are also among the 30 nominees. The winner will be revealed at an event in Paris on October 30.

Karim Benzema, who concluded his 14-year tenure at Real Madrid in June by joining Saudi club Al-Ittihad, is also in the running.

Bonmati, the recipient of the UEFA women’s player award, emerges as a frontrunner for the Ballon d’Or, having showcased exceptional talent as Spain secured the World Cup title in Sydney last month. She was instrumental in Barcelona’s Champions League victory and aims to follow in the footsteps of her club and national teammate Alexia Putellas, who secured the award in the past two years.

Putellas, absent from this year’s nominations, had limited playtime for Barcelona last season due to an anterior cruciate knee ligament injury in July 2022, which sidelined her for nine months.

Bonmati is among four members of Spain’s World Cup-winning squad nominated, alongside Olga Carmona, Salma Paralluelo, and Alba Redondo. Patricia Guijarro and Mapi Leon, both representing Barcelona, are also on the list.

These two players did not participate in the World Cup, as part of a group of 15 athletes who announced last year that they would no longer represent Spain, in protest against the Spanish federation and coach Jorge Vilda.

The 30 nominees also include Chelsea and Australia striker Sam Kerr and England goalkeeper Mary Earps.