France Football has announced that they will unveil the nominees for the highly coveted 2023 Ballon d’Or on September 6.
They will disclose the list of 30 players in contention for the award in September, while the main Ballon d’Or event will be staged on Monday, October 16.
Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi is the front-runner for this year’s accolade.
The 35-year-old enjoyed a triumphant 2022, securing the FIFA World Cup title with Argentina and clinching the Ligue 1 championship with Paris Saint-Germain.
Messi scored seven goals at the tournament in Qatar. The former Barcelona man assisted three in eight World Cup appearances and collected his second Golden Ball award.
He also tallied an impressive 21 goals and 20 assists across 41 competitive matches for Les Parisiens during the domestic season.
His PSG teammate Kylian Mbappe reached the final of the World Cup with France, netting a hat-trick against Argentina. He finished as the top scorer and took the Golden Boot.
Mbappe amassed an impressive 41 goals in 43 appearances in all competitions.
Manchester City’s Erling Braut Haaland is another top contender for the prize. The 22-year-old Norwegian phenom has netted 52 goals in as many games across all competitions.
Haaland played an instrumental role in Manchester City’s Premier League and FA Cup triumphs.
His teammate Kevin De Bruyne also stakes a strong claim, having registered ten goals and provided 31 assists in 48 appearances.
Several other notable contenders vie for the prestigious award. Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior boasts an impressive tally of 23 goals and 21 assists in 55 games.
Napoli’s Victor Osimhen is in the running with an impressive record of 31 goals in 39 games. He finished as Serie A top scorer and led the Partenopei to their first league title in 33 years.
The men’s Ballon d’Or will have 30 nominees, while the women’s Ballon d’Or has 20. There are ten nominees for the Yacine Trophy and the Kopa Trophy.
Football fans eagerly anticipate the announcement of the final nominees on September 6 as the anticipation for the 2023 Ballon d’Or continues to grow.
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