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With club football back in full swing for the 2024-25 season, all eyes will be on the world's best players as they battle it out for the Ballon d'Or in 2024. The sport has witnessed a transition over the past year with several new players making their breakthroughs in recent months.
The likes of Real Madrid and Manchester City have dominated discourse in European football this year. Pep Guardiola's side dominated English football last season, while Los Blancos maintained their stranglehold on Europe's premier competition.
Ballon d'Or set to feature Euro and Copa America stars
Spain stormed their way to the Euro 2024 title this year and could find some of their representatives on the Ballon d'Or podium. Lamine Yamal has enjoyed a stellar Euro campaign but is yet to become a permanent fixture in Barcelona's first team.
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Argentina managed to defend their Copa America title this year and it remains to be seen if their talismanic captain will feature in this year's award ceremony. Here are the current favourites to win the 2024 Ballon d'Or.
#5 Lionel Messi (Inter Miami/Argentina)
Lionel Messi is approaching the twilight of his career and looks set to carve out another legacy at Inter Miami. The former Barcelona star has emerged as the talisman of his side yet again and is arguably the first MLS star to remain strongly in contention for the Ballon d'Or.
Messi has bagged 12 goals and nine assists in only 12 appearances for MLS this season. Inter Miami have an excellent winning percentage with the Argentine in their lineup and rely heavily on their veteran playmaker.
Lionel Messi also contributed to Argentina's Copa America triumph this year with one goal and one assist in five appearances. While the odds are stacked against the magician this year, Messi could still claw his way back into contention in the Ballon d'Or race.
#4 Lautaro Martinez (Inter Milan/Argentina)
Lautaro Martinez is arguably the most underrated contender for the Ballon d'Or this year. The Argentine might not be the most well-rounded player on this list but has made up for his shortcomings with his stellar goalscoring exploits.
Martinez scored an impressive 24 goals for Inter Milan in Serie A last season and propelled them to a league title. The Argentine forward will lead the line for the Nerazzurri yet again this season and could further bolster his case in the Ballon d'Or race.
The Inter Milan striker also scored five goals in Argentina's Copa America campaign and won his third trophy with his country. Martinez is currently one of the most effective forwards in Serie A and is in the midst of a purple patch at the moment.
#3 Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid/England)
With seven late goals for both club and country last season, Jude Bellingham has made a name for himself as a big-game player. The Real Madrid star singlehandedly won as many as 10 points for his club with his late goals last season.
While Bellingham was not at his best at Euro 2024, the English midfielder showcased his natural goalscoring instincts with another trademark late goal against Slovakia.
Real Madrid are competing on multiple fronts yet again this season and will need their young midfielder to replicate his goalscoring feats. Jude Bellingham is one of the best players in world football at the moment and could potentially win the Ballon d'Or with a few more heroic performances this season.
#2 Rodri (Manchester City/Spain)
Rodri might not have the goalscoring statistics to compete with his Ballon d'Or rivals but his abilities as a midfielder elevate him to a league of his own. The Manchester City star has been imperious on the ball over the past year and was the proverbial puppetmaster behind Spain's Euro 2024 triumph.
Rodri's exploits in midfield alongside a highly technical group of midfielders allowed Spain to thoroughly outperform their opponents throughout the tournament. The Manchester City midfielder won the 'Player of the Tournament' award for his performances at Euro 2024.
At Manchester City, Rodri is Pep Guardiola's trusted lieutenant in midfield and has grown in stature under his Catalan manager. The midfielder also won the Premier League title last season and is currently one of the favourites to win the Ballon d'Or this year.
#1 Vinicius Junior (Real Madrid/Brazil)
Real Madrid won the UEFA Champions League yet again last season and relied heavily on their Brazilian winger to do the heavy lifting in the knockout stages of the competition. With six goals and four assists to his name, Vinicius Junior made Europe's most prestigious competition his own.
The Brazilian was virtually unplayable for Los Blancos and reserved his best performances for the biggest games. Vinicius Junior also scored a crucial goal in the final and is currently the frontrunner in the 2024 Ballon d'Or race.
