Top 5 Ballon d’Or Ranking for July 2023. The most esteemed individual award in football is the Ballon d’Or. It is given to the football player who has had the finest season by the French news publication France Football. The Ballon d’Or has developed into a symbol of the highest level of individual success in football over time.
A combination of votes from media representatives, captains of the national teams, and coaches determine the Ballon d’Or winner. The privilege of bringing home the Ballon d’Or has only been afforded to the finest players to ever lace up a pair of boots.
The Ballon d’Or race is thrilling this year, and it’s hard to predict who will win the prestigious award.
Here are the top five candidates to win the 2023 Ballon d’Or without further ado.
#5 Kevin De Bruyne:
Kevin De Bruyne, the brains behind Manchester City, had yet another outstanding season to add to his impressive resume. The legendary Belgian midfielder is still going strong in his 30s despite being older. He has now essentially established himself as the best midfielder of his generation.
De Bruyne was outstanding for City this season and was essential to their European treble victory. During the 2022–23 season, he made 49 appearances for the Cityzens across all competitions, including 10 goals and an astounding 31 assists.
#4 Kylian Mbappe:
For Kylian Mbappe, the 2022–23 season had the potential to be truly memorable, but it fell just short. On an individual level, the Frenchman has had a very successful season as usual, but the disappointment of the World Cup final and an early Champions League elimination have marred it.
At the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Mbappe took home the Golden Boot award and even scored an incredible hat trick against Argentina in the championship match. Due to his prodigious goal-scoring abilities, the Frenchman continues to be a dangerous presence in the attacking third and causes chaos practically every time he plays.
For PSG in the 2022–23 season, the 24-year-old made 43 appearances in all competitions, making 41 starts and contributing 10 assists. Although he is in the running for the Ballon d’Or this year, the competition is likely to win.
#3 Rodri:
Currently, Rodri is regarded as the world’s top-holding midfielder. Rodri is able to do the duties of two midfielders without even breaking a sweat because of his exceptional game intelligence and superb technical abilities.
He started more games across all competitions than any of his colleagues during the 2022–23 season as a very dependable and consistent performer for City. Against the top clubs in Europe, Rodri’s cool and collected play allowed City to control the action in the middle of the pitch.
The 26-year-old also scored the winning goal for City against Inter Milan in the Champions League final. After completing the continental treble with City, Rodri went on to play a significant part in leading Spain to victory in the UEFA Nations League in June.
The international from Spain has performed well enough to earn a spot on the Ballon d’Or podium this year.
#2 Lionel Messi:
Lionel Messi gave it everything he had in the 2022–23 season to win a record-extending eighth Ballon d’Or. He led Argentina to victory at the World Cup and took the Golden Ball home with him.
For Paris Saint-Germain, Messi was likewise in excellent form, making 41 games across all competitions while tallying 21 goals and 20 assists. He has had a fantastic season and has a good chance of repeating as the largest individual winner in football this year.
#1 Erling Haaland:
Erling Haaland’s potential to defeat Messi for the 2023 Ballon d’Or remains debatable. But if anyone could pull it off, it would be him. The 2022–23 campaign for Haaland has been incredible, to put it mildly.
In 53 games for Manchester City in all competitions, he scored a staggering 52 goals and contributed nine assists as they won the continental treble. Haaland, who is only 22 years old, still has a whole football career ahead of him and has a chance to go down as one of the all-time greats.
It would be a fitting beginning to the voyage if he won the Ballon d’Or in his first season in the Premier League.
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