The Ballon d’Or 2023 ceremony will take place today, October 30, 2023, at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, France. The prestigious award is presented annually to the best men’s and women’s football players in the world, as voted on by a panel of international journalists.
The favourites to win the men’s Ballon d’Or 2023 are:
- Lionel Messi (PSG, moved to Inter Miami in the Summer)
- Erling Haaland (Manchester City)
- Kylian Mbappe (PSG )
- Vinicius Junior (Real Madrid)
- Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City)
- Rodri (Manchester City)
- Ilkay Gundogan (Manchester City, moved to Barcelona in the summer)
- Victor Osimhen (Napoli)
- Julián Alvarez (Manchester City)
- Robert Lewandowski (Barcelona)
- Karim Benzema (Real Madrid)
Messi is the hot favourite to win a record-extending eighth prize after inspiring Argentina to World Cup glory in Qatar in December. A leak from a Spanish sports agency a few days ago, already confirmed that Messi had been awarded.
The 36-year-old scored seven goals, including two in the final, and won the Golden Ball after a series of mesmerising displays.
Haaland’s extraordinary debut season with Manchester City, when he scored 52 goals in all competitions to fire Pep Guardiola’s side to the Treble, makes him a strong contender.
Those two are the runaway favorites with the bookies, although the likes of Vinicius Junior, Kevin De Bruyne, Kylian Mbappe, and Rodri are likely to feature highly.
Benzema is the defending Ballon d’Or winner, and he had another outstanding season in 2022-2023, leading Real Madrid to victory in the Champions League and La Liga. Haaland is one of the most exciting young players in the world, and he had a prolific goalscoring season for Borussia Dortmund before joining Manchester City in the summer.
WHO ARE THE FAVOURITES FOR THE WOMEN’S BALLON D’OR 2023?
Barcelona and Spain star Bonmati is hotly tipped to win the award that her compatriot and teammate Alexia Putellas claimed in the last two years.
With Putellas spending most of the last year out injured, Bonmati has risen to the fore by winning the Golden Ball as Spain clinched their first-ever World Cup title in Australia and New Zealand.
Sam Kerr scored 29 goals for Chelsea last season as they won a domestic double before featuring for the Matildas at their home World Cup, while Georgia Stanway could be in the frame after her efforts in England’s run to the final and clinching the title with Bayern Munich.
The Ballon d’Or 2023 ceremony will begin at 7:00 PM CET (6:00 PM GMT) and will be televised live in over 100 countries around the world. In addition to the main awards, several other prizes will also be presented, including the Kopa Trophy (best young player under the age of 21), the Yashin Trophy (best goalkeeper), and the Gerd Müller Trophy (best striker).
The Ballon d’Or 2023 ceremony is one of the most prestigious events in the football calendar. It is a chance to celebrate the best players in the world and to recognize their incredible achievements. The favorites to win the men’s and women’s awards are clear, but there are a number of other contenders who are also capable of taking home the prize. It is sure to be an exciting evening, and football fans around the world will be eagerly awaiting the results.
