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The winner of the 2023 Ballon d'Or will be announced on October 30. The Ballon d'Or is widely regarded as the most prestigious individual honour in the world of football. The award is presented by the French news magazine France Football and it recognizes the best player over the course of a season.
Performances of footballers all over the world over the course of the 2022-23 season will be taken into account to decide the winner of the coveted prize. Karim Benzema took home the Ballon d'Or last year and thanks to his exploits in the 2021-22 season, he was the clear-cut favourite to walk away with it.
However, the race for the Ballon d'Or is way tighter this year and although we have a couple of players who are ahead of the rest, it's still hard to pick a winner.
Without further ado, let's take a look at the top five favourites for the 2023 Ballon d'Or.
#5 Julian Alvarez (Argentina/Manchester City)
Julian Alvarez stepped up and delivered big time for Argentina at the 2022 FIFA World Cup. He was one of their standout performers as they completed a triumphant run on the grandest stage in football. He scored four goals in the tournament and was one of the best young players in Qatar.
Alvarez also did a great job at club level, scoring 17 goals and providing five assists in 49 appearances in all competitions for Manchester City last term. His exploits were crucial to City winning the continental treble.
#4 Kylian Mbappe (France/Paris Saint-Germain)
Throughout the 2022-23 season, Kylian Mbappe did what he does best. He wreaked havoc in the attacking third, scored plenty of goals and created chances for his teammates. Overall, he was as menacing as ever last season but his silverware collection fails to reflect it.
That could be the main reason why Mbappe might not win the Ballon d'Or this year. He scored 41 goals and provided 10 assists in 43 appearances across all competitions for PSG last term and fired them to the Ligue 1 title.
The Frenchman also won the Golden Boot at the 2022 FIFA World Cup and it's also worth noting that he scored a hat-trick in the final against France.
#3 Rodri (Spain/Manchester City)
Manchester City's midfield metronome Rodri has now arguably established himself as the best holding midfielder in the world. Not only is he exceptional at breaking up play with his excellent game-reading abilities and tactical intelligence, but Rodri is also very good at orchestrating play from deep.
He was one of City's most consistent players as they won a historic treble last season. Rodri scored the winning goal for City in the Champions League final against Inter Milan. If that wasn't enough, he also won the UEFA Nations League with Spain this summer.
Rodri has definitely done more than enough to earn a place on the Ballon d'Or podium this year.
#2 Erling Haaland (Norway/Manchester City)
Erling Haaland broke numerous goalscoring records in his debut season at Manchester City. After arriving at the club in the summer of 2022 from Borussia Dortmund, Haaland took the Premier League by storm.
He finished the season with 36 goals in the league, winning the Premier League Golden Boot and the European Golden Shoe. Haaland also broke the record for the most goals scored in a Premier League season.
The Norwegian marksman showcased an understanding of the game and his role far beyond his age and proved to be the missing piece of the puzzle at City. His 52 goals and nine assists from 53 appearances in all competitions were critical to City winning the treble last term.
But has he done enough to win his first Ballon d'Or? Maybe. Maybe not.
#1 Lionel Messi (Argentina/Inter Miami)
Lionel Messi propelling Argentina to World Cup glory has got to be his highest achievement in the race for the 2023 Ballon d'Or.
Messi was a man on a mission at the 2022 FIFA World Cup. He produced some of the best performances of his international career in Qatar to not only win the tournament but also walk away with the Golden Ball. The 36-year-old scored seven goals and provided three assists in the competition.
He also did a good job for PSG on the domestic front, scoring 21 goals and providing 20 assists in 41 appearances across all competitions. Messi was a standout performer for the Parisians as they won the Ligue 1 title last term.
