The 2023/24 season begins its countdown . Many months of competition where the best teams and players in the world have competed in search of glory. The big stars have once again shown signs of their enormous power in search of the most prestigious individual award on the planet: the Ballon d’Or.
The main battles that will determine the winner are still to come. The finals of the leagues, the Champions League, the Euro Cup and the Copa América will put the finishing touch to struggles that began last August.
However, at this point in 2024, some important conclusions can already be drawn by looking, above all, at the history of this award. Players who started as favorites, but who have seen how the development of the months and the results have left them out of the race.
OUT OF THE RACE
Eerling Haaland: despite accumulating a considerable number of goals, the Norwegian is far from his best level and has run out of time to come back. His Manchester City remained in the quarterfinals of the Champions League and will not have the opportunity to vindicate themselves in the European Championship as their team is not qualified. He only has the consolation of lifting another Premier League that does not seem worthy enough to win the golden ball.
Mohamed Salah: a Ballon d’Or ‘top ten’ almost every season. Outstanding Premier with Liverpool, but insufficient to get back into the race. The failure in the Europa League and his injury in the African Cup necessarily take him out of the equation.
Robert Lewandowski: it had to be his great season at Barça after conquering the Pichichi. But the reality of the culé team has been too much for the Polish player who will end the season blank except for a historic defeat for his Poland in the next Euro Cup.
Antoine Griezmann: his great start to the season once again placed him among the elite of world football. His enormous importance with Atlético and the French team put him in the fight. However, his 2024 has brought the Frenchman down from the clouds with a brutal drop in his performance which, in addition, has been one of the causes of the red and whites’ elimination from the Champions League. He still has the Euro Cup left, but the race for the Ballon d’Or is over in Dortmund.
Lautaro Martínez: no one can deny his impressive season with Inter Milan in Serie A. Top scorer in the Italian championship and an enormous ability to lead his team to a new title. However, the Champions League round of 16 tie against Atlético stifled any hope of getting into the fight when they came up empty and missed the decisive penalty against Oblak.
IN THE RACE
Rodri: his season is being masterful. Unlike De Bruyne, he has been the leader of Manchester City since the summer and has become the big star of Guardiola’s team, who always suffer a little more when the Spaniard is not available. His elimination against Real Madrid takes away almost all of his options, but if he manages to win the Premier League being as brilliant as always and manages to lead Spain towards winning the Euro Cup, he will be one of the strong candidates.
Toni Kroos: the German has revealed the truth in what seemed like it was going to be his last season. Leader of Real Madrid’s midfield all year round who will lead the whites to win LaLiga and perhaps another Champions League. His notable return with the German team for the Euro Cup could catapult him towards the Ballon d’Or.
Harry Kane: despite losing the Bundesliga, the Englishman is being a goal-scoring machine in his first season at Bayern Munich. His team is alive in the Champions League and will be one of the big stars of the next Euro Cup. The double doesn’t seem easy, but if he achieves it he will be one of the main favorites to win the Ballon d’Or.
Florian Wirtz: he is the great star of Xabi Alonso’s Leverkusen who can achieve a historic treble. They already have the Bundesliga, but now they are going for the Cup and the Europa League. If Wirtz is fundamental in all the trophies and achieves the ‘poker’ by lifting the next Euro Cup, who knows if he could be the ‘bombshell’ of the voting for the Ballon d’Or 2024.
Bernardo Silva: it is a case similar to that of Rodri. He has had a very regular season and, since Gündogan’s departure, he is even more important in Guardiola’s team. His qualifying match against Real Madrid was outstanding and he has the Euro Cup bullet left to boost his candidacy. Portugal is one of the main favorites and the City left-footer is one of its stars.
FAVORITES
Vinicius: last season he was left with honey on his lips by finishing sixth in the voting. It seems his time has come. A prop for Real Madrid and leader of the Brazilian team, he could achieve a historic double (or triplet) that would win him the Ballon d’Or title without a doubt. The most important battles are yet to come, but Vini seems ready to begin his reign.
Mbappé: he is crazy about winning his first Ballon d’Or. The French league already has it in his possession and is in an unbeatable situation to reach the final of the Champions League. His France is considered a great favorite to win the Euro Cup and Kylian is life insurance in the big events. Will Mbappé collect his first Ballon d’Or as a Real Madrid player?
Jude Bellingham: undoubted great protagonist of European football in the first half of the season. His impact on Real Madrid has been so great that he has managed to establish himself as the team’s big star at 20 years old. He needs one last push to win his first Champions League and make it even more difficult by leading England to its first European title.
UNKNOWNS
What would happen if Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi sweep the Euro Cup and the Copa América? A priori, their current leagues keep them away from the first level, but during the season they have always been competitive and well above the level of the competition. Let’s see who is capable of stopping them from fighting for the Ballon d’Or if they finish their career in such a legendary way.
