The 2024 Ballon d’Or nominees have just been announced, and football fans everywhere are giddy with anticipation! The best football players, both male and female, compete fiercely for this prestigious award, which is given out annually. The greatest surprise, though? Both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo were left off the list!
These two football icons ruled the sport’s top individual award for more than 20 years. Messi even went on to win the Ballon d’Or in 2023 after helping Argentina win the Copa America. But it appears that the moment has come for a fresh batch of football stars.
Jude Bellingham of Real Madrid and Vinícius Júnior are among the strong favorites to win this year. In addition to scoring more than 20 goals apiece, they both had fantastic seasons that saw their teams win both the Champions League and Liga. After Messi and Ronaldo dominated the award for years, they are in the running to become the first new face to win it.
Erling Haaland, who broke goal scoring records and won trophies with his team at Manchester City, isn’t far behind. It looks like this year’s competition will be fierce with other well-known athletes like Phil Foden and Kylian Mbappé in the mix.
When the winner is formally announced on October 30, 2024, football fans will be waiting impatiently. Will a new football king be crowned, or will one of the well-known names win out? Time will tell, but one thing is certain: this Ballon d’Or will be remembered.
