da bet7: The shortlist for world football's most prestigious individual award has been revealed ahead of the ceremony in Paris on October 30
da pixbet: The Ballon d'Or. Love it or loathe it, it's the award every footballer in the world dreams of one day winning. And now, after a memorable and unique 2022-23 campaign, the shortlist of nominees for the 2023 Golden Ball have been announced.
There are a host of top names vying to claim the prize that Karim Benzema took home in 2022, with performances not only at club level, but also at the 2022 World Cup, having been taken into account when selecting this year's list of potential winners.
Who will take home the prize? Will Lionel Messi pick up Ballon d'Or number eight after guiding Argentina to glory in Qatar? Or will Erling Haaland's record-breaking exploits for treble-winners Manchester City be enough? And could Kylian Mbappe or Vinicius Jr. force themselves into contention?
We will have to wait until the ceremony in Paris on Monday, October 30 to find out, but for now, here are the players who have been shortlisted for football's ultimate individual honour:
Getty ImagesJosko Gvardiol (Manchester City)
A standout for both Croatia and RB Leipzig during the 2022-23 season, Gvardiol did enough to earn a big-money move to Man City. Chances are, he will get even better there.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesAndre Onana (Manchester United)
Onana turned in countless big performances as Inter made an unexpected run to the Champions League final. And although his side lost to Man City in the showpiece, Onana was one of the best keepers in Europe last year.
GettyKarim Benzema (Al-Ittihad)
Benzema had an under-par season for Los Blancos and still managed to bag 19 goals in 24 La Liga starts — as well as a hat-trick against Barcelona in the Copa del Rey semi-final. Not bad for a 35-year-old with chronic injury issues.
Getty ImagesJamal Musiala (Bayern Munich)
One of Europe's brightest talents, Musiala continued to develop throughout 2023, bagging 12 goals and adding 10 assists as Bayern Munich made a late push for the Bundesliga title. His winner against Koln on the final day of the season will go down as one of the most important goals in club history.