New Delhi: The 2024 European Football season is coming to an end and the race for the Ballon D’Or is heating up. Fantastic performances have been seen all season long. The most prestigious award in world football, the Ballon d’Or is the talk of the town. Several players are in contention for the award as the 23-24 season goes on. Lionel Messi took home the 2023 Ballon D’Or after winning the World Cup for the record eighth time. However, the world is already looking at who will be the next footballer to be crowned the winner of the Golden Ball. As the season comes into its final stages, the competition is intense. We will be looking at the top 5 players who are most likely to take the Ballon d’Or award home.
The English midfielder is the first name in the list for the top runners for the Ballon D’Or. As of the 2023-24 season Foden has already scored 25 goals and provided 11 assists. The midfielder has also got the UEFA Club World Cup and the UEFA Super Cup under his belt too this season. He’s having the best season of his life in an already decorated career, after having scored two hattricks for Manchester City. Due to his impressive form he is also in contention to be one of the starters for England in the upcoming Euros.
Vinicius Jr. has continued to impress the footballing world and has been named as Neymar’s successor for Brazil. The Real Madrid winger is having a fantastic season after coming off an injury at the start. As of right now Vini Jr. has 21 goals and 11 assists to his name. Having already won the La Liga and the Super Copa De Espana, he is all set to face Borussia Dortmund in the UEFA Champions League Final on June 2, 2024. Winning the UCL would earn him extra brownie points in his race to win the Golden Ball.
The English forward shocked the footballing world when he left Tottenham Hotspurs and joined the Bundesliga side Bayern Munich at the start of the 23-24 season. Ever since joining Bayern he has done nothing but impress football fans around the world. Having scored 44 goals and providing 12 assists, the Englishman is set to finish the season as the Bundesliga and the European top scorer. However his team is all set to finish without any silverware for the first time in more than a decade.
The French superstar has cemented his name as a football legend after winning the 2018 FIFA World Cup and scoring a hattrick in the 2022 World Cup Final. Mbappe has had extraordinary seasons for both club and country ever since he has gotten into the spotlight. So far this season the French forward has scored 49 goals and also provided 17 assists. He also added two trophies to his already impressive trophy cabinet has he won the Ligue 1 and the Trophee Des Champions with Paris Saint Germain. Mbappe is always a serious contender whenever the Ballon D’Or is discussed.
No new signing has made such a big impact for Real Madrid ever since Cristiano Ronaldo. Being considered as the best player in the world since the start of the season, Bellingham has scored 24 goals and provided 13 assists. Just like his teammate Vinicius Jr. he is also all set to play in the UEFA Champions League Final and has won La Liga and the Super Copa De Espana. Mid season injury resulted in him missing a few games but he has returned in top form. All set to play for England in the 2024 Euros, Jude Bellingham is the current top contender to win the Golden Ball.
