Syears of Messi, than Ronaldo, a room for young people. This Monday, October 28, the 68th Ballon d’or ceremony will take place at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris. If the women’s Ballon d’Or should be awarded to the favorite, the Spaniard Aitana Bonmati, the result will be greater on the men’s side. To find out who will be rewarded as the best player over the period from August 1, 2023 to July 31, 2024, it will be from 8:45pm live on L’Équipe channel, channel 21, Monday evening.
For the first time since 2003, this prestigious ceremony will take place without Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo or a former winner of the trophy among the list of nominees.
ALSO READ “It’s diesel”: the first assessment for Kylian Mbappé at Real MadridOn the female side, there should be no surprises. Spaniard Aitana Bonmati should be selected for the second year in a row. The other players who can claim victory are two FC Barcelona teammates: Alexia Putellas, the 2021 and 2022 winner, and Salma Paralluelo. This will be the fourth time in a row that Barça have achieved the title, reflecting the dominance the Catalan club has had on women’s football around the world.
Kylian Mbappé, not a favorite this year
Among the men, some favorites stand out. Leading the way is Real Madrid’s Brazilian striker Vinicius Jr. At the age of 24, he can become the first Brazilian to win football’s most prestigious individual award since Kaká seventeen years ago. This would crown an already successful year following Champions League titles and the Spanish league. Therefore, Vinicius Jr would succeed Leo Messi, last year’s winner of his eighth Ballon d’Or.
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On the contrary, another Spaniard is mentioned among the possible winners: Manchester City midfielder Rodri, 28 years old. His English colleague Jude Bellingham, who is now one of Real’s captains, is also in the running.
What about Kylian Mbappé? The French player does not appear on the list of final favorites this year. If he has the best statistics among the nominees (52 goals in 59 games), his poor performance with the French team at the Euro has since banned him. The Blues captain, who is the target of a rape investigation according to Swedish media, should still travel to Paris for the ceremony and could explain himself publicly for the first time on these potential charges if he stops media relations.