The 68th edition of the 2024 Ballon d'Or ceremony will take place in October at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris. Vinicius Jr should indeed be crowned as the men’s Ballon d’Or winner for the first time.
The Ballon d'Or 2024 ceremony is fast approaching. We will know very soon the successor to Leo Messi on the Ballon d'Or list.
The nominated players have already been announced and a few names stand out to win the award.
UEFA Champions League winner Real Madrid (Spain) has four players nominated: Vinicius, Bellingham, Carvajal, and new summer signing Mbappé.
Lautaro Martinez is also among the favorites and has one special fan supporting his campaign. None other than his Argentinian teammate Lionel Messi who announced that his favorite is Inter’s striker.
Manchester City (England) and Spain’s midfielder Rodri, who tore his ACL a few weeks ago, is also a nominee.
On the women's side, Aitana Bonmati seems to be heading toward a second Ballon d'Or win in a row following her exceptional season with Barcelona winning La Liga F and the UEFA Women's Champions League.
Her Barcelona teammate, Norway's Caroline Graham Hansen is another strong competitor for the award as she finished the 2023/2024 season with 30 goals and 19 assists in 64 matches.
Sophia Smith and Trinity Rodman are also among the favorites as they led the USWNT to Olympic gold this summer at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Is Vinicius’ win definite?
News has been circulating that Vinicius Jr. (Brazil) was already notified that he is the 2024 winner of the Ballon d’Or.
Despite his mediocre Copa America performance, the Brazilian was Madrid’s most important player last season, helping the club win both La Liga and the Champions League.
The Brazilian winger finished the 2023/2024 season with 24 goals and 11 assists across all competitions and formed an unstoppable trio with Rodrigo and Jude Bellingham.
For the Spanish press, there is no longer any doubt that Vini Jr will be the next winner of the Ballon d'Or.
At 24 years old, the Sao Gonçalo native will tick another objective off his list of dreams.
Recruited by Real Madrid in 2017 for 45 million euros from Flamengo, the Brazilian has risen to the top of the football world, despite the difficult start.
If Vinicius Jr is indeed crowned as the Ballon d’Or, he will become the first Brazilian to win it in 17 years.
Aside from Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo’s domination over the last 15 years, the only exceptions were Real Madrid’s Luka Modric (Croatia) and Karim Benzema (France).
The last time a Brazilian player won a Ballon d’Or was in 2007 when Kaka was rewarded for all of his magical performances with AC Milan.
How does the voting work?
In 2022, the voting mechanism was modified.
Since then, only journalists from the top nations in the FIFA rankings are entitled to vote, thus excluding representatives of nations ranked in lower positions.
This change has restricted the field of voters, making the process more focused on countries with greater weight in the international football panorama.
The Men’s Ballon d’Or is awarded by a jury of football journalists representing the top 100 countries in the FIFA Men’s Ranking.
The Women’s Ballon d’Or is awarded by a jury of women’s football journalists representing the top 50 countries in the FIFA Women’s Ranking.
What are the other prizes on the menu?
- The Women's Ballon d'Or
- The Kopa Trophy (best under 21 player)
- The Yashin Trophy (best goalkeeper)
- The Men's Club of the Year Trophy
- The Women's Club of the Year Trophy
- The Men's Coach of the Year Trophy
- The Women's Coach of the Year Trophy
- The Gerd Müller Trophy (the top scorer of the season)
Nominees by categories
Men’s Ballon d’Or 2024 nominees
- Jude Bellingham (England, Real Madrid)
- Hakan Çalhanoğlu (Türkiye, Inter)
- Dani Carvajal (Spain, Real Madrid)
- Rúben Dias (Portugal, Manchester City)
- Artem Dovbyk (Ukraine, Dnipro / Girona / Roma)
- Phil Foden (England, Manchester City)
- Alejandro Grimaldo (Spain, Bayer Leverkusen)
- Erling Haaland (Norway, Manchester City)
- Mats Hummels (Germany, Borussia Dortmund)
- Harry Kane (England, Bayern Munich)
- Toni Kroos (Germany, Real Madrid)
- Ademola Lookman (Nigeria, Atalanta)
- Emiliano Martínez (Argentina, Aston Villa)
- Lautaro Martínez (Argentina, Inter)
- Kylian Mbappé (France, Paris Saint-Germain / Real Madrid)
- Martin Ødegaard (Norway, Arsenal)
- Dani Olmo (Spain, Leipzig / Barcelona)
- Cole Palmer (England, Manchester City / Chelsea)
- Declan Rice (England, Arsenal)
- Rodri (Spain, Manchester City)
- Antonio Rüdiger (Germany, Real Madrid)
- Bukayo Saka (England, Arsenal)
- William Saliba (France, Arsenal)
- Federico Valverde (Uruguay, Real Madrid)
- Vinícius Júnior (Brazil, Real Madrid)
- Vitinha (Portugal, Paris Saint-Germain)
- Nico Williams (Spain, Athletic Club)
- Florian Wirtz (Germany, Bayer Leverkusen)
- Granit Xhaka (Switzerland, Bayer Leverkusen)
- Lamine Yamal (Spain, Barcelona)
Women’s Ballon d’Or 2024 nominees
- Lucy Bronze (England, Barcelona / Chelsea)
- Mariona Caldentey (Spain, Barcelona / Arsenal)
- Barbra Banda (Zambia, Shanghai RCB / Orlando Pride)
- Tabitha Chawinga (Malawi, Paris Saint-Germain / Olympique Lyonnais)
- Grace Geyoro (France, Paris Saint-Germain)
- Manuela Giugliano (Italy, AS Roma)
- Caroline Graham Hansen (Norway, Barcelona)
- Patricia Guijarro (Spain, Barcelona)
- Giulia Gwinn (Germany, Bayern München)
- Yui Hasegawa (Japan, Manchester City)
- Ada Hegerberg (Norway, Olympique Lyonnais)
- Lauren Hemp (England, Manchester City)
- Lindsey Horan (USA, Olympique Lyonnais)
- Lauren James (England, Chelsea)
- Marie-Antoinette Katoto (France, Paris Saint-Germain)
- Alyssa Naeher (USA, Chicago Red Stars)
- Sjoeke Nüsken (Germany, Chelsea)
- Ewa Pajor (Poland, VfL Wolfsburg / Barcelona)
- Salma Paralluelo (Spain, Barcelona)
- Gabi Portilho (Brazil, Corinthians)
- Alexia Putellas (Spain, Barcelona)
- Mayra Ramírez (Colombia, Levante / Chelsea)
- Trinity Rodman (USA, Washington Spirit)
- Lea Schüller (Germany, Bayern München)
- Khadija Shaw (Jamaica, Manchester City)
- Sophia Smith (USA, Portland Thorns)
- Mallory Swanson (USA, Chicago Red Stars)
- Tarciane (Brazil, Corinthians / Houston Dash)
- Glódís Viggósdóttir (Iceland, Bayern München)
Men’s Club of the Year 2024 nominees
- Borussia Dortmund (Germany)
- Girona (Spain)
- Bayer Leverkusen (Germany)
- Manchester City (England)
- Real Madrid (Spain)
Women's Club of the Year 2024 nominees
- FC Barcelona (Spain)
- Chelsea (England)
- NY/NJ Gotham (USA)
- OL (France)
- PSG (France)
Women's Coach of the Year nominees
- Sonia Bompastor (OL, Chelsea)
- Arthur Elias (Corinthians, Brazil)
- Jonatan Giraldez (FC Barcelona, Washington)
- Emma Hayes (Chelsea, United States)
- Filip Patao (Benfica)
- Sarina Wiegman (England)
Men's Coach of the Year nominees
- Xabi Alonso (Bayer Leverkusen)
- Carlo Ancelotti (Real Madrid)
- Luis de la Fuente (Spain)
- Gian Piero Gasperini (Atalanta Bergamo)
- Pep Guardiola (Manchester City)
- Lionel Scaloni (Argentina)
Yachine Goalkeeper of the Year nominees
- Diogo Costa (Porto)
- Gianluigi Donnarumma (PSG)
- Gregor Kobel (Dortmund)
- Andriy Lunin (Real Madrid)
- Mike Maignan (AC Milan)
- Giorgi Mamardachvili (Valencia)
- Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa)
- Unai Simon (Bilbao)
- Yann Sommer (Inter Milan)
- Ronwen Williams (Mamelodi Sundowns)
Kopa Trophy U21 Player of the Year nominees
- Pau Cubarsi (Barça)
- Alejandro Garnacho (Manchester United)
- Arda Güler (Real Madrid)
- Karim Konaté (RB Salzburg)
- Kobbie Mainoo (Manchester United)
- Joao Neves (Benfica, PSG)
- Savihno (Girona, Manchester City)
- Mathys Tel (Bayern)
- Lamine Yamal (Barça)
- Warren Zaire-Emery (PSG)
