“Most notably Messi, Mbappe and Haaland” What is the list of thirty players nominated for the 2023 Ballon d’Or title?
The famous magazine “France Football” has announced the list of the thirty players who are competing for the title of the best player in the world for 2023, the Ballon d’Or. Among the prominent names nominated for the award are Norwegian Haaland, Argentine Lionel Messi, and Frenchman Kylian Mbappe.
A collage of stars Mbappe, Messi and Haaland - Source: Al Ain website
Argentinian superstar Lionel Messi has a chance to win the title of the best player in the world this season, especially after winning the FIFA World Cup with his national team at the end of last season. Messi has recently moved from Paris Saint-Germain to Inter Miami in the United States, where he has been performing exceptionally well.
It seems that the young Norwegian star Erling Haaland is the strongest competitor to the Argentine superstar Lionel Messi, who is 36 years old, for winning the best player in the world award. Haaland had a fantastic season with his team, winning the English Premier League, the UEFA Champions League, and the League Cup. He scored 52 goals in 53 matches last season and previously won the award for the best player in Europe.
French star Kylian Mbappe is also one of the prominent players always in contention for the Ballon d’Or award. He had an impressive performance with the French national team in the World Cup in Qatar, finishing as the runner-up after losing in the final match against the Argentine national team on penalties.
After Manchester City’s perfect season, it is necessary to include Kevin De Bruyne among the nominated players for the best player in the world, especially considering the crucial role he plays within the team.
Egyptian superstar Mohamed Salah is also included in the list, but he is not strongly favored to win the title, especially after his underwhelming performance with Liverpool last season and his failure to win the UEFA Champions League and the English Premier League.
The list also includes the Argentinian national team and Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, who displayed a fantastic performance during the World Cup and played a significant role in his team’s victory in the tournament.
Moroccan national team goalkeeper Yassine Bounou is also included in the list following his excellent performance with the Moroccan national team in the World Cup, as well as his outstanding performances with his former club Sevilla and winning the UEFA Europa League.
The list of the nominated players for the 2023 Best Player in the World award is as follows:
- Lionel Messi (Inter Miami, USA)
- Erling Haaland (Manchester City, England)
- Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain, France)
- Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City, England)
- Mohamed Salah (Liverpool, England)
- Jamal Musiala (Bayern Munich, Germany)
- Andre Onana (Manchester United, England)
- Josko Gvardiol (Manchester City, England)
- Karim Benzema (Al-Ittihad Jeddah, Saudi Arabia)
- Bukayo Saka (Arsenal, England)
- Bernardo Silva (Manchester City, England)
- Pedri (Real Madrid, Spain)
- Colo Mounie (Paris Saint-Germain, France)
- Kvaratskhelia (Napoli, Italy)
- Barella (Inter Milan, Italy)
- Ruben Dias (Manchester City, England)
- Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa, England)
- Vinicius Junior (Real Madrid, Spain)
- Yassine Bounou (Al-Hilal, Saudi Arabia)
- Martin Odegaard (Arsenal, England)
- Ilkay Gundogan (Barcelona, Spain)
- Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid, Spain)
- Julian Alvarez (Manchester City, England)
- Robert Lewandowski (Barcelona, Spain)
- Rodri (Manchester City, England)
- Lautaro Martinez (Inter Milan, Italy)
- Harry Kane (Bayern Munich, Germany)
- Osimhen (Napoli, Italy)
- Kim Min-Jae (Napoli, Italy)
- Luka Modric (Real Madrid, Spain)
