The Ballon d’Or gala will crown the two best footballers in the world, both male and female.
The red carpet is once again being rolled out at the entrance of the Teatre du Chatelet in Paris. The lights are turned on and the schedule for the most prestigious gala in world Football is finalized. Final touches are being made in anticipation of the 68th Ballon d’Or ceremony, which will kick off this coming Monday, October 28, at 20:45 (Movistar+). Last year, Aitana Bonmatí and Leo Messi were crowned. Only one of them can repeat their recognition, as the Argentine star is not nominated for the first time in 21 years.
In the women’s award, Aitana Bonmatí is the favorite alongside her teammate Caroline Graham Hansen, who has finally made it into the shortlist for this prestigious honor.
There has been a long-standing demand for the Norwegian player to be featured in the candidate lists for the most important awards in football. Graham Hansen has been demonstrating her uniqueness for years, yet she was overlooked for previous individual accolades. Undoubtedly, she is one of the most influential players in the world, unique in her understanding of the game. Thus, justice has been served this edition, and the Norwegian will be in Paris for the Ballon d’Or gala. She will do so thanks to an agreement between Barça and the Norwegian national team, which has arranged a private jet for her to travel from the national team camp to the French capital and return before Norway’s match the following day.
In addition to the two favorites, Barça boasts up to six players with recent or current ties to the club. Patricia Guijarro, Salma Paralluelo (who finished third last year), Alexia Putellas, Mariona Caldentey (currently at Arsenal), Lucy Bronze (now at Chelsea), and Ewa Pajor (for her role at Wolfsburg before arriving at Johan Cruyff this summer) are all in contention. Other nominees include Mayra Ramírez (Levante/Chelsea), Lauren James (Chelsea), Ada Hegerberg (Lyon), and Lindsey Horan (Lyon).
In the men’s award, there is less mystery regarding who will be crowned the best footballer in the world. All signs point to Vinicius Jr. taking home the award by a significant margin over his podium companions. The Brazilian lifted the La Liga and Champions League trophies with Real Madrid last season, earning the MVP title in the prestigious European competition. Alongside the forward from the white team are some of his Madrid teammates, including Jude Bellingham, Toni Kroos, and Carvajal. Rodri Hernández from Manchester City is also included in the list along with Phil Foden, Artem Dovbyk, and Barça players Lamine Yamal and Dani Olmo.
This gala will mark a new era. It is the first time since 2003 that neither Cristiano Ronaldo nor Leo Messi appear on the list of 30 candidates for the Ballon d’Or. The two superstars, who have defined the past two decades with their fierce rivalry, are absent from the nominees, marking the end of a golden decade for football. Nevertheless, it will be very challenging for any other player to match their legacy. Leo Messi is the player who has won the Ballon d’Or the most times, claiming the title of best player in the world on eight occasions (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, 2021, and 2023) and being nominated 16 times. Meanwhile, Cristiano Ronaldo has won it five times (2008, 2013, 2014, 2016, and 2017), with 18 nominations to his name.
Other awards will also be presented on the night of the upcoming Monday in Paris, including the Yashin Trophy (awarded to the best goalkeeper) and the best coach awards in both the men’s and women’s categories. Undoubtedly, it will be a dream night in the French capital that will crown the new kings of football.
