Messi, Haaland, Mbappe… the nominees for the 2023 edition have been announced

VIs it an eighth Ballon d’Or for Lionel Messi? The list of nominees for the Ballon d’Or 2023 was unveiled on Wednesday, 6 September. Including Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé, Erling Haaland or even Karim Benzema. In the women’s section, there are five players from the Spanish team that became world champions last August.

The five-time holder of the highest individual award, Cristiano Ronaldo, exiled from Saudi club Al-Nassr, is not to be named. His historic rival, Argentina’s Messi, world champion and hero of the final against France at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, is the favorite to win an eighth Ballon d’Or despite moving from PSG to Inter in the summer. Miami and the American MLS grew much less than the European Championships. Yet since arriving in Florida, “Leo” Messi has scored a ton of goals and assists.

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A possible surprise?

He now competes with a new generation symbolized by Norwegian stars Erling Haaland (23 years old) and Frenchman Kylian Mbappe (24 years old).

The former won the UEFA trophy for the best player of the 2022-2023 season after scoring 52 goals in all competitions for his first season with Manchester City, including 39 in the Premier League – a record. The other was the hero in the 2022 World Cup final, scoring a hat-trick to answer Messi’s brace. He scored 36 goals in 42 appearances for PSG last season and has already made an impressive start to the new season with five goals in three Ligue 1 games.

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In women, Spain in force

On the women’s side, the Spanish selection, which won the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand this summer, features five players, including four from FC Barcelona – Etana Bonmati (winner of the UEFA award), Patricia Guijarro, Mapy Leone, Salma Parluelo. Fifth, Olga Carmona, the only scorer in the final against England, comes to Real Madrid.

Patricia Guijarro and Mapy León were named despite their perceived absence from this World Cup: they were among the “rebels” who refused to play under the orders of former coach Jorge Villada, whom the Luis Caser Rubiales upheaval After was sacked after the final. On the other hand, her compatriot Alexia Puteles, Ballon d’Or in 2021 and 2022, is not on the list. She was sidelined for almost the entire season due to a serious knee injury.

The 2023 Ballon d’Or award ceremony will take place in Paris on October 30.

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