Lionel Messi won the Ballon d’Or for the record-breaking eighth time in 2023, after an extraordinary year in which he led Argentina to a World Cup victory.
Despite winning the treble with Manchester City, Erling Haaland finished second and missed out on the award for the first time in his career.
At 37, Messi, who now plays for Inter Miami in Major League Soccer, is unlikely to secure a ninth Ballon d’Or. This opens the competition for the first time in years, making the award more accessible to other players.
Traditionally, the Ballon d’Or was awarded based on a player’s performance over a calendar year.
However, for the second time in the award’s history, voting is based on season results, meaning Messi’s 2023 win was for his efforts from August 1, 2022, to July 31, 2023.
Here are the 20 most likely candidates for the 2024 Ballon d’Or, based on their performances this year.
