Ballon d’Or: Messi hot favourite for record-extending eighth trophy
Published:
Argentina hero 1/10 in the Ballon d’Or odds
Lionel Messi is the overwhelming favourite to win the 2023 Ballon d’Or for a record-extending eighth time after the 30 nominations were announced.
The former Barcelona and PSG star, now with Inter Miami in MLS, inspired Argentina to a third World Cup success in Qatar and is 1/10 in the Ballon d’Or odds.
Erling Haaland, Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham and Bukayo Saka were also included on the shortlist for the prestigious prize which will be awarded at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris on October 30 and covers the previous European season and World Cup.
Lionel Messi
Messi scored seven goals and supplied two assists at the World Cup, although that was not quite enough to win the Golden Boot.
The 36-year-old attacker scored in every knockout game, including a double in the final and also netted the first spot-kick in the penalty shoot-out against France after the match had finished 3-3 at the end of extra time.
His performances ensured he became the first player to win the Golden Ball for a second time, though, having also achieved the feat at the 2018 World Cup in Brazil.
Erling Haaland
The Norwegian had a sensational debut season in the Premier League, smashing records left, right and centre during Manchester City’s Treble-winning campaign.
Haaland, one of seven City players to be nominated for the Ballon d’Or, scored 36 goals in the top flight last season, two more than previous record holders Alan Shearer and Andy Cole.
He scored 52 times in all competitions, including four hat-tricks in the Premier League, one in the FA Cup and five against RB Leipzig in the Champions League which City went on to win in Istanbul.
Kylian Mbappe
Mbappe became the second player to score a hat-trick in a World Cup final, but unlike England’s Geoff Hurst in 1966 his efforts proved in vain as defending champions France lost 4-2 on penalties to Argentina.
That treble, two of which came from the penalty spot, proved enough to win the Golden Boot from then PSG team-mate Messi.
Mbappe also won the Ligue 1 Golden Boot for the fifth successive time after scoring 29 goals, two more than nearest rival Alexandre Lacazette.
Jude Bellingham
Bellingham’s exceptional performances during England’s run to the 2022 World Cup quarter-finals caught the eye of Real Madrid, who signed the young midfielder from Borussia Dortmund for £88.5m during the summer.
Despite his tender years, Bellingham started every match and scored his first international goal in a 6-2 victory over Iran in the first match of the group stage.
The Ballon d’Or 2023 may have come too soon for Bellingham, who has made a remarkable start in the Spanish capital and could be a contender in 2024.
Best of the rest
Last year’s winner Karim Benzema missed the World Cup with a thigh injury and retired from international football on his 35th birthday, just one day after France’s penalty shoot-out defeat against Argentina.
Benzema scored 19 Liga goals in his final season with Real Madrid and is 100/1 in the Ballon d’Or odds, the same price as Manchester City duo Rodri and Kevin De Bruyne.
Rodri scored the only goal in the Champions League final against Inter Milan and De Bruyne supplied the most assists in the competition with seven, one more than Real Madrid’s Vinicius jr, who is also 100/1.
Harry Kane and former City captain Ilkay Gundogan are both 125/1, while City duo Bernardo Silva and Ruben Dias are both available at 150/1.
All odds and markets correct as of date of publication
