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Ballon d’Or: The World Awaits the New Kings of Football

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On Monday, October 28, 2024, the new kings of football will be unveiled at the prestigious Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris during the 68th annual Ballon d’Or ceremony, hosted by France Football.

For the first time in 21 years, both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo will not be nominated. Between them, they have claimed 13 of the last 15 awards, with Messi securing 8 and Ronaldo 5, making them the all-time record winners of this illustrious accolade.

Among the nominees for the Women’s Ballon d’Or is Alexia Putellas, who has won the award twice following her triumphs in 2021 and 2022. She will compete against fellow Spaniards Aitana Bonmatí – the current holder (2023) – Mariona Caldentey, Patricia Guijarro, and Salma Paralluelo. Since 2021, a Spanish female footballer has always taken home the award, with the last non-Spaniard winner being American Megan Rapinoe in 2019.

In the race for the men’s award, ten players who participated in the 2023/24 Premier League season are among the nominees (with 4 from Arsenal, and 4 from Manchester City, alongside individuals from Aston Villa and Chelsea). Additionally, 9 players hail from La Liga in Spain (including 6 from Real Madrid, along with representatives from Athletic Bilbao, Barcelona, and Girona), 6 from the Bundesliga in Germany, 3 from Serie A in Italy, and 2 from Ligue 1 in France.

Historically, one of the youngest winners of the Men’s Ballon d’Or is Brazilian Ronaldo Nazário, who became the first Brazilian and South American to win it in 1997 at just 21 years and 3 months. Remarkably, 16-year-old Lamine Yamal has had an impressive season with FC Barcelona and the Spanish national team, making him the frontrunner for the Kopa Trophy, awarded to the best player under the age of 21.

A staggering 53% of the players nominated for the 2024 Men’s Ballon d’Or represent just three nationalities: 6 English players (Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, Cole Palmer, Phil Foden, Harry Kane, and Jude Bellingham), 6 Spaniards (Rodri, Álex Grimaldo, Dani Olmo, Nico Williams, Lamine Yamal, and Dani Carvajal), and 4 Germans (Florian Wirtz, Toni Kroos, Antonio Rüdiger, and Mats Hummels).

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