Soccer: who are the nominees for the Ballon d'Or 2023?

The nominees for the 67th Ballon d'Or have finally been announced! The trophy, which rewards the best footballer of the year, will be awarded in Paris on October 30, 2023, and is expected to be decided between Lionel Messi and Erling Haaland.

It's the most eagerly-awaited event in the soccer world every year: the one that rewards the world's best footballers. This year's Ballon d'Or ceremony will take place on Monday, October 30, 2023 at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris. In 2022, France's Karim Benzema was honored for the first time, but this year, Lionel Messi is back among the nominees and should once again win the trophy after his World Cup triumph.

At the time of this 67th edition, many European players have left their leagues for Saudi Arabia, Qatar or the USA, so this is their last chance of victory. Messi, despite an unsuccessful year with Paris-Saint-Germain, won the last World Cup with Argentina, and is therefore tipped to win his eighth and final Ballon d'Or. Erling Haaland also has a good chance, having won the Champions League with Manchester City and been voted UEFA Player of the Year.

On the French side, the nominees include Kolo Muani, Benzema, Griezmann, as well as Kylian Mbappé, who is still among the favorites to win it thanks to his outstanding performances, but who has yet to hold it in his hands. On the women's side, only Kadidiatou Diani and Wendie Renard are in the running. Since last year, the rules of the Ballon d'Or have changed, with individual performance now the overriding criterion, while the career criterion has disappeared.