Who will succeed Lionel Messi and Aitana Bonmati? Answer this Monday evening during the 68th ceremony at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, broadcast live on the L’Équipe channel, which will begin shortly before 9 p.m.
In total, eight trophies will be awarded during this 2024 edition, including two new ones.
Vinicius and Bellingham the favorites, Rodri the outsider
The supreme reward is the Golden Ball which crowns the best footballer and the best footballer in the world during the sporting year. This year, Lionel Messi – last winner and eight times crowned – is absent from the list of nominees just like his rival Cristiano Ronaldo for the second year in a row. Winner of the Copa America, the Argentinian plays in MLS in the United States with the Inter Miami club.
The big favorite of this 2024 edition is called Vinicius Junior Author of a hat-trick last Tuesday with Real Madrid in the Champions League to overcome Bayern Munich (5-2), the Brazilian winger may have made an impression in the final stretch.
His teammate and club Jude Bellingham is the other contender: the two Madrilenians won the Champions League and La Liga this year. The only downside: they didn’t win anything with their respective selections last season: quarter-final of the Copa America with Brazil for the first and final of the Euro with the English for the second.
For his part, Rodri can put on the outsider costume: the Manchester City player was a finalist in the Champions League, champion of England and winner of the Euro with Spain.
The list of 30 male nominees
On the French side, there are only two named (compared to four last year): the captain of the French team Kylian Mbappé. The PSG and then Real Madrid player cannot reasonably hope this year for the supreme title he dreams of. Other tricolor present: William Salibathe Arsenal defender.
Note that there is only one player playing in Ligue 1 during the 2024-2025 season: Vitinha (PSG). Finally, Lamine Yamal is the youngest player to be a finalist for the Ballon d’Or at the age of 17. The Barcelona nugget had a breathtaking Euro with Spain.
- Jude Bellingham (ANG / Real Madrid)
- Hakan Çalhanoglu (TUR / Inter Milan)
- Dani Carvajal (ESP / Real Madrid)
- Ruben Dias (POR / Manchester City)
- Artem Dovbyk (UKR / SK Dnipro, Girona, AS Roma)
- Phil Foden (ANG / Manchester City)
- Alejandro Grimaldo (ESP / Bayer Leverkusen)
- Erling Haaland (NOR / Manchester City)
- Mats Hummels (ALL / Borussia Dortmund)
- Harry Kane (ANG / Bayern Munich)
- Toni Kroos (ALL / Real Madrid)
- Ademola Lookman (NIG / Atalanta Bergame)
- Emiliano Martinez (ARG / Aston Villa)
- Lautaro Martinez (ARG / Inter Milan)
- Kylian Mbappé (PSG, Real Madrid)
- Martin Odegaard (NOR/Arsenal)
- Dani Olmo (ESP / RB Leipzig, FC Barcelona)
- Cole Palmer (ANG / Manchester City, Chelsea)
- Declan Rice (ANG / Arsenal)
- Antonio Rudiger (ALL / Real Madrid)
- Bukayo Saka (ANG / Arsenal)
- William Saliba (Arsenal)
- Federico Valverde (URU / Real Madrid)
- Vinicius Jr (BRE / Real Madrid)
- Vitinha (POR / PSG)
- Nico Williams (ESP / Athletic Bilbao)
- Florian Wirtz (ALL / Bayer Leverkusen)
- Granit Xhaka (SUI / Bayer Leverkusen)
- Lamine Yamal (ESP / FC Barcelona)
Favorite Bonmati and Putellas
Among the women, two players stand out to win the Golden Ball. The title holder Aitana Bonmati et Alexia Putellas the double winner 2021 and 2022. They are teammates in Barcelona and the Spanish team. With La Roja, they won the Nations League after being crowned world champions last year but finished just off the podium at the Olympics. With Barça, they won the Champions League, the Spanish Cup, the Spanish Super Cup and are undefeated in the league.
Among the list of 30 nominated, there are two players from the French team playing for PSG: Marie-Antoinette Katoto et Grace Geyoro.
- Barbra Banda (ZAM / Shanghai RCB, Pride d’Orlando)
- Aitana Bonmati (ESP / FC Barcelona)
- Lucy Bronze (ANG / FC Barcelona, Chelsea)
- Mariona Caldentey (ESP / FC Barcelona, Arsenal)
- Tabitha Chawinga (MWI / PSG, OL)
- Grace Geyoro (PSG)
- Manuel Guigliano (ITA / AS Roma)
- Caroline Graham Hansen (NOR / FC Barcelona)
- Patri Guijarro (ESP / FC Barcelone)
- Giulia Gwinn (ALL / Bayern Munich)
- Yui Hasegawa (JAP / Manchester City)
- Ada Hegerberg (NOR / Olympics)
- Lauren Hemp (ANG / Manchester City)
- Lindsey Horan (É-U/OL)
- Lauren James (ANG / Chelsea)
- Marie-Antoinette Katoto (PSG)
- Alyssa Naeher (É-U/Chicago Red Stars)
- Sjoeke Nüksen (ALL / Chelsea)
- Ewa Pajor (POL / Wolfsbourg, FC Barcelona)
- Salma Paralluelo (ESP / FC Barcelone)
- Gabi Portilho (BRÉ / Corinthians)
- Alexia Putellas (ESP / FC Barcelona)
- Mayra Ramirez (COL / Levante, Chelsea)
- Trinity Rodman (É-U/Spirit of Washington)
- Lea Schüller (ALL / Bayern Munich)
- Khadija Shaw (JAM / Manchester City)
- Sophia Smith (É-U, Portland Thorns)
- Mallory Swanson (É-U / Red Stars de Chicago)
- Tarciane (BRÉ / Cortinthians, Dash of Houston)
- Glodis Viggosdottir (ISL / Bayern Munich)
The other trophies with two new features
In addition to the Golden Ball player, there are six other awards: the Kopa Trophy (best young), the Yachine Trophy (best goalkeeper), the prize Gerd Müller (top scorer), the Socrates Prize (societal commitment), men’s club of the year et the women’s club of the year.
Two new products this year with the distinctions of best coach of a men’s team et best coach of a women’s team.
