Aitana, Vinicius and Lamine, favorites at the Ballon d’Or Gala

Magical, Football and glamorous night in Paris, where the Chatelet Theater will host again today (7 p.m./Movistar +) the 68th Ballon d’Or Galawhich will recognize the best of the season and is awarded by France Football magazine in conjunction with UEFA. and the Barça will once again be widely represented in almost all categories. The 2024 awards will include the Ballon d’Or the best male soccer player and the best female soccer player, the Trofeo Kopa (best Under-21 player), the Yashin Trophy (best goalkeeper), the Trophy Gerd Müller (top scorer of the previous season), the Men’s Club of the Year Trophy and the Women’s Club of the Year Trophy. This time, in addition, two new awards will also be added to the list of prizes: the Coach Trophy and the Coach of the Year Trophywhich recognize the invaluable contribution of coaches to success on the field of play.

In the men’s category, the best positioned to win the Ballon d’Or is the Brazilian Viniciuswho won the League and Champions League last season with Real Mothersd, being a fundamental piece of the white club’s successes. Barça, for its part, has Lamine Yamal (17 years old) and Dani Olmo (26) as representatives on the list of 30 candidates.

Spain, which won the Euro Cup in Germany in the summer, is represented by six players: Nico Williams (Athletic), Rodrigo Hernandez (Manchester City), Alejandro Grimaldo (Bayer Leverkusen), Dani Carvajal (Real Madrid) and the aforementioned azulgranas Elm y Lamine. Goalkeeper Unai Simón is up for the Yashin Trophy and coach Luis de la Fuente is up for the best coach award along with Pep Guardiola, Xabi Alonso, Lionel Scaloni, Gian Piero Gasperini and Carlo Ancelottithe candidate who starts with an advantage.

In the female category, Aitana Bonmatí She is the big favorite to win her second consecutive Ballon d’Or. The Barça midfielder is one of the seven current European champions wearing the Barça shirt who appear on the list of 30 nominees for the award. They are also Alexia Putellas, winner in 2021 and 2022, Patri Guijarro, Salma Paralluelo and Caroline Graham Hansenas well as Mariona Caldenteywho signed for Arsenal this summer, and the English Lucy Bronzewho signed for Chelsea. Ewa Pajorincorporation of this course and exWolfsburg is among the candidates.

Barça is also in the running for best women’s club in 2024 and, barring any surprise, will win it after winning the four titles last year. That is why Jonatan Giráldezcurrently with the Washington Spirit, is one of the nominees for best coach of a women’s team.

Another Blaugrana Kopa

In addition to his candidacy for the Ballon d’Or, Lamine Yamalbarring a major surprise, will win the Kopa Trophy for best footballer under 21 years of age. Since 2018 it has been delivered by the French sports magazine France Football and the defender Pau Cubarsi17, also appears among the 10 nominees, with the main competition from the Turkish Arda laughs (19 years old, Madrid) or Savinho (20, ex-Girona and already at Manchester City). Bellingham is the current winner and Gavi (2022) y Pedro (2021) they already have it.