Ranking the Ballon d’Or Contenders for 2022/23
18 October 2023
Hello Rank Squad!
It’s that time of year again, where the crème de la crème of world football dust out the old tuxedos and head for Paris for the glittering Ballon d’Or ceremony – the home of the famous incident where Virgil van Dijk was once asked if he wears aftershave on the pitch by some eejits.
We look through the 30 man shortlist for football’s most prestigious individual prize and whittle it down to 10, before giving our thoughts on the ranking of the top 10 footballers in the world last year.
Will Lionel Messi claim his 8th trophy? Will Erling Haaland’s ridiculous goal record put him on top of the pile? Or could World Cup Golden Boot winner Kylian Mbappé finally get his hands on the trophy after his sixth nomination – a reminder that he’s only 24.
We look through it all, and the best of the rest. It’s Ranks!