Goal magazine presented an updated rating of contenders for the “Golden Ball” – 2023, the prize for the best footballer in the world.
The leading contender to receive the most prestigious individual award in soccer remains Lionel Messi, the Argentine forward of Paris Saint-Germain.
Erling Haaland, the forward for Manchester City, is in second place, while Kylian Mbappe, Messi’s teammate at PSG, is in third.
The top 20 contenders are as follows:
- Lionel Messi (PSG)
- Erling Haaland (Manchester City)
- Kylian Mbappe (PSG)
- Vinicius Junior (Real Madrid)
- Kevin de Bruyne (Manchester City)
- Victor Osimhen (Napoli)
- Karim Benzema (Real Madrid)
- Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (Napoli)
- Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
- Julian Alvarez (Manchester City)
- Ilkay Gundogan (Manchester City)
- Bernardo Silva (Manchester City)
- Lautaro Martinez (Inter Milan)
- Marcus Rashford (Manchester United)
- Jude Bellingham (Borussia)
- Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United)
- Bukayo Saka (Arsenal)
- Casemiro (Real Madrid)
- Jack Grealish (Manchester City)
- Rodrygo (Real Madrid)
Messi is a seven-time winner of the Ballon d’Or. As part of the Argentina national team, he won the World Cup 2022 in Qatar, and as a result, he was voted the best player.
The current holder of the Ballon d’Or is Karim Benzema, the forward for Real Madrid. The new ceremony to award this prestigious prize will be held in Paris at the end of the year.
Last updated on 23 May 2023 - 17:55
