the essential Lionel Messi and Aitana Bonmati are the favorites for the Ballon d’Or, the most prestigious individual award in football, which is to be awarded this Monday evening in Paris.
Crowned world champion, in Qatar at the end of 2022 – with seven goals, including two in the final, and three assists, as well as a more anecdotal French champion title with PSG – superstar Lionel Messi is on his way to succeed the Frenchman Karim Benzema, at the Châtelet theater in Paris this Monday evening.
Now playing at Inter Miami in the United States, in a much less competitive championship, Messi will then a priori give way to young people, like Kylian Mbappé, 24 years old, and Erling Haaland, 23 years old, who are part of the list of the nominees. The Frenchman and the Norwegian are the two main outsiders this season. The PSG striker was top scorer at the World Cup with eight points, responding to Messi in the final with a sparkling hat-trick. He nevertheless failed, alongside Messi and Neymar, to take PSG to the roof of Europe.
This was achieved by Haaland, his rival from Manchester City, who scored the goals to contribute to the quest for a first Champions League for the “Skyblues”. With, in addition, the Premier League and the FA Cup, it is a fabulous treble that Haaland obtained for his first season in England. Voted UEFA player of the year in August, the tall Nordic (1.95 m) finished top scorer in the championship (36 goals in 35 matches) and the Champions League (12 in 11 matches)… Worthy statistics those of Messi.
A first Golden Ball in 2009
As with any individual reward in a team sport, the result risks making happy and unhappy people, for the players and their fans. Asked about the subject, Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola chose humor to decide: “The Ballon d’Or should have two sections. One for Messi, and then we look for the others”. Since 2008 (first Ballon d’Or for Ronaldo) and 2009 (first for Messi), the two ogres have cannibalized the award: only Luka Modric (2018) and Benzema have also gleaned it.
Lionel Messi during the Argentina Paraguay match, October 12, 2023. Photo MaxPPP
Aitana Bonmati, the obvious
Among the women, the supreme prize should still go to a Spaniard, proof of the current domination of this nation which won the World Cup in Oceania last summer. After Alexia Putellas, winner in 2021 and 2022 but seriously injured in a knee this season, it is the 25-year-old midfielder Aitana Bonmati who should be, barring any major surprises, the lucky one. Pep Guardiola, former coach of the great Barça, sees Bonmati as “the Iniesta of women’s football”. A golden compliment for this Catalan who grew up admiring the midfielder and the entire Guardiola clique, ranging from Xavi to Messi. Also trained at FC Barcelona, Bonmati has largely contributed to making the women’s section of her club a major one in Europe, by winning the 2021 and 2023 Champions League. She has also won the last four Spanish championships.
Spain’s Aitana Bonmati during a match against Italy, October 27, 2023. Photo MaxPPP
Another Spaniard, this time from Real Madrid, Olga Carmona, decisive scorer in the final against England, or the German Alexandra Popp and her four goals at the World Cup, have arguments to put forward.
But they seem below those of Bonmati, already elected player of the World Cup, with three goals scored, and UEFA player of the year, with five goals and five assists in the Champions League. On Tuesday, she could wake up in fine company, a heavy golden trophy at her side.
Who are the last 10 winners?
At men’s – 2022 : Karim Benzema ; 2021, 2019 : Leo Messi ; 2018 : Luka Modric ; 2017, 2016 : Cristiano Ronaldo ; 2015 : Leo Messi ; 2014, 2013 : Cristiano Ronaldo – In women – 2022, 2021: Alexia Putellas; 2019: Megan Rapinoe; 2018: Ada Hegerberg.
Who are the nominees in 2023?
A preselection of 30 men and 20 women players was established by a committee, made up of the editorial staff of France Football and L’Equipe, as well as former star Didier Drogba.
The nominees for the men’s Ballon d’Or : Julian Alvarez (Argentinian); Nicolo Barella (Italy); Jude Bellingham (England); Karim Benzema (France); Yassine Bounou (Morocco); Kevin de Bruyne (Belgium); Ruben Dias (Portugal); Antoine Griezmann (France); Ilkay Gündogan (Germany); Josko Gvardiol (Croatia); Erling Haaland (Norway); Harry Kane (England); Kim Min-Jae (South Korea); Randal Kolo-Muani (France); Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (Georgia); Robert Lewandoski (Poland); Emiliano Martinez (Argentina); Lautaro Martinez (Argentina); Kylian Mbappé (France); Lionel Messi (Argentina); Luka Modric (Croatia); Jamal Musiala (Germany); Martin Odegaard (Norway); André Onana (Cameroon); Victor Osimhen (Nigeria); Rodri (Spain); Bukayo Saka (England); Mohamed Salah (Egypt); Bernardo Silva (Portugal); Vinicius Jr (Brazil).
The nominees for the Women’s Ballon d’Or : Aitana Bonmati (Spain); Millie Bright (England); Linda Caicedo (Colombia); Olga Carmona (Spain); Rachel Daly (England); Debinha (Brazil); Kadidiatou Diani (France); Mary Earps (England); Patricia Guijarro (Spain); Yui Hasegawa (Japan); Amanda Ilestedt (Sweden); Sam Kerr (Australia); Mapi Leon (Spain); Katie McCabe (Ireland); Hinata Miyazawa (Japan); Lena Oberdorf (Germany); Asisat Oshoala (Nigeria); Ewa Pajor (Poland); Salma Paralluelo (Spain); Alexandra Popp (Germany); Hayley Raso (Australia); Alba Redondo (Spain); Guro Reiten (Norway); Wendie Renard (France); Fridolina Rolfö (Sweden); Jill Roord (Netherlands); Khadija Shaw (Jamaica); Sophia Smith (United States); Georgia Stanway (England); Daphne Van Domselaar (Netherlands).
2023-10-30 06:12:08
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