Who will win the ballon d’or 2024​: Top 8 potential candidates

Who will win the ballon d’or 2024? After an impressive year with top performances from football stars from around the world, this race promises to be extremely attractive. Names like Kylian Mbappe, Lionel Messi, Erling Haaland or Jude Bellingham are all strong candidates, each with impressive achievements in the past year. However, with different factors and fierce competition, the identity of the winner is still a mystery, making fans around the world anxiously wait. Join Kingsoccertips to learn about the player who will win the 2024 Golden Ball award through the article below!

Who will win the ballon d’or 2024​?

1. Who will win the ballon d’or 2024​: Vinicius Jr – Striker, Real Madrid

Real Madrid star Vinicius Jr. has become a household name over the past few years, consistently showing impressive form and shining brighter with each passing season. The Brazilian has faced a number of racist abuses in Spain, but he has remained resilient on the biggest stages.

Although Vinicius has to compete with many of his Real Madrid teammates for goals and assists, he has maintained his position as the irreplaceable attacking leader of Europe’s most successful club. In the Champions League final, he continued to show his mettle, scoring the winner in a 2-0 win over Borussia Dortmund, his 24th goal of the season, two years after scoring the only goal in Real’s win over Liverpool in the final.

However, Vinicius still has much to prove on the international stage, where major trophies are often decided. The 24-year-old has scored just five goals for Brazil in 34 appearances, and the Selecao have once again failed to qualify for a major international tournament, most recently the 2024 Copa America. Vinicius is currently the leading candidate for the Ballon d’Or, but a poor showing in the United States may have hurt his chances.

Although Vinicius Jr. has been touted as a leading candidate for the Ballon d’Or for months, on the morning of the ceremony, it was reported that Real Madrid knew he would not win and cancelled their delegation’s trip to the ceremony, fuelling speculation that Rodri was the winner.

2. Who will win the ballon d’or 2024​: Rodri – Midfielder, Man City

Manchester City midfielder Rodri is considered the frontrunner for the 2024 Ballon d’Or, thanks to an excellent 2023/24 season, impressive for both club and country. Throughout the season, he has shown great consistency and influence, affirming his extremely important role in the tactical system of both Manchester City and the Spanish national team. From his classy performances in the Premier League to his shining moments on the international stage, Rodri has always been an indispensable name.

The 28-year-old has played a key role in helping Manchester City win their fifth consecutive Premier League title, consolidating their position among the best teams in the world. In addition, he was also a decisive factor in Spain’s victory at Euro 2024, contributing to the Bulls’ conquest of the European title. Rodri has not only been a solid mainstay in midfield but also a leader on the pitch. In particular, he has maintained an impressive 74-game unbeaten run for both club and country, breaking the all-time record, demonstrating his consistency and outstanding performance throughout.

3. Jude Bellingham – Midfielder, Real Madrid

Jude Bellingham, while not quite making Real Madrid his own, the 20-year-old England international has achieved more than any first-year player in the Spanish capital since Cristiano Ronaldo. He has not only proven his worth but also done what Ronaldo could not: winning the Champions League in his first season in Madrid, and especially winning against his former club Borussia Dortmund. It is an impressive achievement, affirming Bellingham’s quick integration and outstanding talent.

The young midfielder was considered a generational talent, having played in a deeper role at Borussia Dortmund, where he developed into a world-class player. However, when Carlo Ancelotti decided to move him into the No. 10 role, many were skeptical. At the time, moving Bellingham out of the No. 6/No. 8 position where he had performed so well seemed counterintuitive. However, with 23 goals and 13 assists in all competitions this season, Ancelotti’s decision has proven to be a brilliant strategic move. Bellingham was also instrumental in England’s success at Euro 2024, with his stoppage-time overhead kick helping them stay in the tournament. Should he win the Ballon d’Or, he will break the record for youngest ever player in October.

4. Kylian Mbappe – Forward, PSG

Kylian Mbappé, widely regarded as the best player in the world right now, will always have a popularity contest when it comes to Ballon d’Or voting in the coming years. Unfortunately for Mbappé, however, he has been unable to maintain his stellar form as the club season comes to a quiet end, marking an underwhelming end to his PSG career. Against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League, Mbappé was all but invisible, overshadowed by teammates like Jadon Sancho and Ousmane Dembélé on the big stage of European competition.

Overall, Mbappé has had a poor season since the turn of the year. Although he has scored 23 of PSG’s 44 goals since January 1, few of them have come in meaningful games. For example, Mbappé scored eight in the Coupe de France but was left empty-handed in the final as PSG lost 2-1 to Lyon. He had a hat-trick in Ligue 1 against Montpellier and a brace against Lorient, but was left out of crucial games against Lille and Lyon, and failed to score against strong opponents like Monaco, Reims and Brest. More importantly, his absence from a number of Champions League games may have hurt PSG’s chances. To be in contention for the Ballon d’Or in 2024, Mbappé will need a strong showing at Euro 2020 this summer. However, he has been poor and France failed to reach the semi-finals, significantly reducing his chances of making it to the final.

5. Harry Kane – Striker, Bayern Munich

No one in Europe’s top leagues has scored as many goals as Harry Kane this season for Bayern Munich, with an impressive 44 in 45 games during his first season in Germany. However, like Kylian Mbappé, few of those special goals have come in the decisive moments that could have put him on the brink of winning the Ballon d’Or.

What has hurt Kane’s CV the most is Bayern Munich’s failure to win any silverware this season, further fuelling criticism that the England star is seemingly “cursed”. One obvious example is his single goal against Bayer Leverkusen, who went on to win the tournament, while Bayern have only taken a single point from those two games.

Furthermore, Kane’s only goal in the two legs of the Champions League semi-final against Real Madrid came from the penalty spot, one of nine he has scored in all competitions this season. Despite Kane’s prolific goalscoring record, which has been a hallmark of his career, his overall output is not enough to put him ahead of the rest. At Euro 2024, he scored three goals and shared the Golden Boot with five other players, but since he did not quite surpass Jude Bellingham, winning the Ballon d’Or will be a very difficult task for Kane.

6. Florian Wirtz – Midfielder, Bayer Leverkusen

No one in Germany has had a more impressive season than Bayer Leverkusen playmaker Florian Wirtz, who helped his club to a historic undefeated season. Under the guidance of Xabi Alonso, Die Werkself won a memorable domestic double, with a number of dramatic comebacks on the way to an unbeaten domestic campaign. Wirtz, 21, in his first full season since returning from an ACL injury, has been the centre of the action all season.

Playing as a No. 10, with exceptional freedom of movement on the pitch, Wirtz has scored 18 goals and provided 20 assists, maintaining his excellent form throughout the campaign. He is poised to be the focal point of Germany’s attack at the European Championships on home soil, and is a genuine contender for the tournament’s Ballon d’Or. However, two factors are working against Wirtz in this race. Firstly, he doesn’t play for a club big enough to attract the attention he needs for the Ballon d’Or, despite Leverkusen’s impressive form. Secondly, his defeat in the Europa League final has affected his global perception, as Atalanta completely shut down Leverkusen’s attack, ruining their chances of an unbeaten treble.

7. Phil Foden – Midfielder/Forward, Man City

Like Florian Wirtz, Phil Foden has also been instrumental in a historic domestic achievement, helping Manchester City win their fourth consecutive Premier League title, something that has never happened in English football. Foden won the FWA Footballer of the Year award and scored 27 goals and provided 12 assists in all competitions. His impressive performances helped City maintain their dominance of the Premier League.

However, like Wirtz, Foden also faced some unfair factors in the race for the Ballon d’Or. Firstly, although Manchester City won the league, their relative failures in both the Champions League and two domestic cup competitions were a huge disappointment for the club, especially after their historic treble last season.

While this is an unfair comparison, it is how the public views the achievements. Secondly, Foden was competing with a lot of star talent in his own squad. Erling Haaland, despite a poor season by his standards, still won the Premier League Golden Boot, while the likes of Rodri and Kevin De Bruyne continued to stand out on their own merits. This has left Foden sometimes overshadowed, despite his potential to be a central figure in the team. It’s likely that Foden will continue to be in the Ballon d’Or conversation for years to come.

8. Lionel Messi – Striker, Inter Miami

No one in the history of global football has won the Ballon d’Or more times than Lionel Messi, the reigning champion with eight wins, most recently last year. This makes him the second-oldest winner in the award’s history, behind only Stanley Matthews, who won the award at the age of 41 in 1956. Messi is currently playing for MLS side Inter Miami and has continued his impressive form in a new arena, challenging for the league’s top spot in goals and assists, despite battling fitness issues and needing rest.

However, Messi will not be a potential winner this year, as he was not included among the 30 nominees. After years of limiting the award to European players, France Football expanded the Ballon d’Or to all players from all clubs around the world in 2007. However, MLS’s perceived status as a less prestigious league than Europe’s leagues could pose a major obstacle to Messi’s chances of winning the award, despite his recent Copa America triumph for Argentina. Although Messi became the first player to win the Ballon d’Or while playing for a non-European club last year, the achievements that put him at the top of the voting, such as winning the 2022 World Cup, occurred before he signed with Inter Miami.

Conclusion

Above, we have listed who will win the ballon d’or 2024​, with impressive achievements and performances in the past year. Although this year’s race is dramatic and unpredictable, each player has worthy reasons to win this noble title. Regardless of the final result, it is certain that the 2024 Ballon d’Or will be a memorable moment in the history of world football.

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