2023 Ballon d’Or: A Comprehensive Look at Nominations and has Lionel Messi’s already won it ?

The Ballon d Or 2023 is one of the most prestigious individual awards in football, and the 2023 edition is no exception. The competition is fierce, with a star-studded list of nominees. One name that stands out is Lionel Messi, who has had an exceptional year by winning the world cup. This article aims to provide an overview of the 2023 Ballon d’Or nominations and delve into the details for the same..

Ballon D Or Nominees for year 2023 both men and women’s category

Here is a comprehensive list of men’s nomination:

Men’s Nominees for 2023 Ballon d’Or

Here is the full list of male nominees along with their nationality and the most recent football club they played for:

1. Lionel Messi – Argentina, Forward, Inter Miami
2. Julian Alvarez – Argentina, Forward, Manchester City
3. Nicolo Barella – Italy, Midfielder, Inter Milan
4. Jude Bellingham – England, Midfielder, Real Madrid
5. Karim Benzema – France, Forward, Al-Ittihad
6. Yassine Bounou – Morocco, Goalkeeper, Al-Hilal
7. Kevin De Bruyne – Belgium, Midfielder, Manchester City
8. Ruben Dias – Portugal, Defender, Manchester City
9. Antoine Griezmann – France, Forward, Atletico Madrid
10. Ilkay Gundogan – Germany, Midfielder, Barcelona
11. Josko Gvardiol – Croatia, Defender, Manchester City
12. Erling Haaland – Norway, Forward, Manchester City
13. Harry Kane – England, Forward, Bayern Munich
14. Kim Min-Jae – South Korea, Defender, Bayern Munich
15. Randal Kolo Muani – France, Forward, Paris Saint-Germain
16. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia – Georgia, Forward, Napoli
17. Robert Lewandowski – Poland, Forward, Barcelona
18. Emiliano Martinez – Argentina, Goalkeeper, Aston Villa
19. Lautaro Martinez – Argentina, Forward, Inter Milan
20. Kylian Mbappe – France, Forward, Paris Saint-Germain
21. Luka Modric – Croatia, Midfielder, Real Madrid
22. Jamal Musiala – Germany, Midfielder, Bayern Munich
23. Martin Ødegaard – Norway, Midfielder, Arsenal
24. Andre Onana – Cameroon, Goalkeeper, Manchester United
25. Victor Osimhen – Nigeria, Forward, Napoli
26. Rodri – Spain, Midfielder, Manchester City
27. Bukayo Saka – England, Forward, Arsenal
28. Mohamed Salah – Egypt, Forward, Liverpool
29. Bernardo Silva – Portugal, Midfielder, Manchester City
30. Vinicius Junior – Brazil, Forward, Real Madrid

Women’s Nominees for 2023 Ballon d’Or

Here is the full list of male nominees along with their nationality and the most recent football club they played for:

1. Aitana Bonmati – Spain, Midfielder, Barcelona
2. Millie Bright – England, Defender, Chelsea
3. Linda Caicedo – Colombia, Forward, Real Madrid
4. Olga Carmona – Spain, Lateral, Real Madrid
5. Rachel Daly – England, Forward, Aston Villa
6. Debinha – Brazil, Forward, Kansas City Current
7. Kadidiatou Diani – France, Forward, Lyon
8. Mary Earps – England, Goalkeeper, Manchester United
9. Patricia Guijarro – Spain, Midfielder, Barcelona
10. Yui Hasegawa – Japan, Midfielder, Manchester City
11. Amanda Ilestedt – Sweden, Defender, Arsenal
12. Sam Kerr – Australia, Forward, Chelsea
13. Mapi Leon – Spain, Defender, Barcelona
14. Katie McCabe – Republic of Ireland, Lateral, Arsenal
15. Hinata Miyazawa – Japan, Forward, Mynavi Sendai
16. Lena Oberdorf – Germany, Midfielder, VfL Wolfsburg
17. Asisat Oshoala – Nigeria, Forward, Barcelona
18. Ewa Pajor – Poland, Forward, VfL Wolfsburg
19. Salma Paralluelo – Spain, Forward, Barcelona
20. Alexandra Popp – Germany, Forward, VfL Wolfsburg
21. Hayley Raso – Australia, Forward, Real Madrid
22. Alba Redondo – Spain, Forward, Levante
23. Guro Reiten – Norway, Midfielder, Chelsea
24. Wendie Renard – France, Defender, Lyon
25. Fridolina Rolfo – Sweden, Lateral/Forward, Barcelona
26. Jill Roord – Netherlands, Midfielder, Manchester City
27. Khadija Shaw – Jamaica, Forward, Manchester City
28. Sophia Smith – United States, Forward, Portland Thorns
29. Georgia Stanway – England, Midfielder, Bayern Munich
30. Daphne van Domselaar – Netherlands, Goalkeeper, Aston Villa

Favorites to win Ballon D Or in men’s category: Lionel Messi or Erling Halland ?

There is a lot of buzz around who would win the ballon d Or. Fans are split about this fact. Lionel Messi won the world cup with Argentina and generally speaking he who wins the world cup generally wins the award for the best player in the world.

On the other hand Halland had a crazy good spell at Man City winning the champions league and also domestic league and trophies in England which makes sense to place him with the best in the competition.

My intuition says its Messi winning as its the world cup and winning international trophy does add to his advantage also there are rumors floating that he has already been informed that he has won the trophy.

Alessandro Dossetti, a close friend of Lionel Messi, has reportedly revealed who will win the Ballon d’Or 2023. However, this should be taken with a grain of salt until official announcements are made. Source

Favorites to win Ballon D Or in women’s category: Aitana Bonmati ?

There’s no doubt on this name she is the queen of Europe and the world. Spain’s Aitana Bonmati is one of the favourites to win this year.

Two-time and reigning winner Alexia Putellas sadly was not on the list this time. She had suffered an injury that had sidelined here for a long time.

Ballon d’Or Voting and Selection Process

Who Votes for the Ballon d’Or?

The voting pool for the Ballon d’Or has undergone changes over the years. Initially, a media member from each of more than 180 nations was identified to receive a ballot. However, starting from the 2022 edition, France Football decided to restrict this to the top 100 countries from the FIFA men’s world ranking for the men’s award and the top 50 countries from the women’s world ranking for the women’s award. The intention is to ensure that only countries with an established football culture participate in the voting.

Voting Criteria

Voters are provided with a list of finalists to choose from. In the past, a player’s overall career performance was considered, but recent changes have made the criteria more specific. Voters are now asked to consider three aspects for every player:

1. Individual performance in the previous season
2. Team success during the previous season
3. Player behavior and fair play during the season in consideration

Transparency in Voting

France Football has historically published each ballot on the weekend following the ceremony. The ballots are completely transparent, displaying the name of each media member, their outlet, and the players they voted for in the specific order they ranked them.

Eligibility for Voting

The list of voters is primarily made up of journalists. However, a panel of former Ballon d’Or winners also contributes to the nomination of the finalists.