Messi, Haaland lead nominees for 2023 Ballon d'Or

Hottest Offer at Trusted Online Gaming Platform in Malaysia

Following the publication of the 2023 Ballon d’Or nominees on Wednesday by France Football magazine, Lionel Messi and Erling Haaland head the 30-player list.

Messi was not included on the shortlist last year; he was now nominated. If he were to win the Ballon d’Or for men this year, it would be his seventh time doing so; Cristiano Ronaldo has won it five times before. Messi also took home the Best FIFA Men’s Player honor once again in February.

For the first time since 2003, Ronaldo, who currently represents Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia, was left off the final roster.

On October 30, a ceremony at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris will name the winner.

Messi eventually won the 2022 World Cup at his fifth attempt when leading Argentina to victory in December. It was the only major trophy Messi has failed to win in his 21-year career.

Messi had a mixed year for his club. He struggled at Paris Saint-Germain, but he did help the team win its 11th Ligue 1 championship as they were eliminated from the Champions League at the round of 16 stage for the second consecutive season.

He chose to join Inter Miami on a free transfer this summer instead of staying in Paris, and he immediately made a difference by helping them win the Leagues Cup and advance to the U.S. Open Cup final.

Erling Haaland, who was also nominated, could be Messi’s toughest rival for the honor. The Norwegian forward helped Manchester City win the Premier League, FA Cup, and Champions League by tallying 52 goals in 53 games across all competitions.

In his first season in England, the 23-year-old shattered the Premier League’s single-season goal scoring record with 36 goals.

For his outstanding achievements, the striker also took home a number of individual honors, including PFA Player of the Year, Premier League Player of the Season, and Football Writers’ Association Men’s Player of the Year.

Unsurprisingly, the majority of the nominees this year are athletes from Manchester City and Argentina. Four Argentine players, including Messi, who were a part of their nation’s third World Cup victory, as well as seven players who helped City win the treble last season, made the shortlist.

Full list of men’s Ballon d’Or nominees:
André Onana – Manchester United/Cameroon
Josko Gvardiol – Manchester City/Croatia
Karim Benzema – Al Ittihad
Jamal Musiala – Bayern Munich/Germany
Mohamed Salah – Liverpool/Egypt
Jude Bellingham – Real Madrid/England
Bukayo Saka – Arsenal/England
Randal Kolo Muani – Paris Saint-Germain/France
Kevin De Bruyne – Manchester City/Belgium
Bernardo Silva – Manchester City/Portugal
Emiliano Martínez – Aston Villa/Argentina
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia – Napoli/Georgia
Rúben Dias – Manchester City/Portugal
Nicolo Barella – Inter Milan/Italy
Erling Haaland – Manchester City/Norway
Yassine Bounou – Al Hilal/Morocco
Martin Ødegaard – Arsenal/Norway
Julián Álvarez – Manchester City/Argentina
Ilkay Gündogan – Barcelona/Germany
Vinícius Júnior – Real Madrid/Brazil
Lionel Messi – Inter Miami/Argentina
Rodri – Manchester City/Spain
Lautaro Martínez – Inter Milan/Argentina
Antoine Griezmann – Atletico Madrid/France
Robert Lewandowski – Barcelona/Poland
Kylian Mbappé – Paris Saint-Germain/France
Kim Min-jae – Napoli/South Korea
Victor Osimhen – Napoli/Nigeria
Luka Modric – Real Madrid/Croatia
Harry Kane – Bayern Munich/England