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The Ballon d'Or 2024 final countdown has commenced with France Football revealing the ranks of the Top 30 nominees. They have announced rankings 16 to 20, with Real Madrid's Federico Valverde finishing ahead of Arsenal skipper Martin Odegaard.
Without further ado, let's dive into the official rankings:
20) Hakan Calhanoglu
Calhanoglu had an excellent 2023-24 campaign for Inter Milan. The 30-year-old defensive midfielder garnered 15 goals and three assists in 40 appearances across competitions, helping the Serie A outfit win the title. He has made the Top 20 for his efforts.
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19) Martin Odegaard
Martin Odegaard was arguably Arsenal's most influential player last season, scoring 11 goals and providing 11 assists in 48 appearances across competitions. The 25-year-old's efforts nearly guided the Gunners to Premier League glory, but they narrowly missed out on the title to Manchester City.
18) Emi Martinez
Martinez finishes in 18th after keeping 15 clean sheets in 47 appearances across competitions for Aston Villa last season, helping them qualify for the UEFA Champions League. He was also instrumental in Argentina winning the 2024 Copa America over the summer.
17) Federico Valverde
Real Madrid midfielder Fede Valverde has been ranked over Odegaard after winning three trophies for Los Blancos last season, including the LaLiga title and UEFA Champions League.
16) Granit Xhaka
Xhaka had an excellent debut campaign under Xabi Alonso's tutelage. The former Arsenal star led Bayer Leverkusen to the Bundesliga title, remaining unbeaten in the process. He also won the DFB-Pokal and DFL-Supercup.
Real Madrid superstar Vinicius Jr set to miss out on Ballon d'Or 2024 award to Manchester City midfielder: Reports
Real Madrid attacker Vinicius Junior is now expected to miss out on the prestigious Ballon d'Or 2024 award, according to beIN Sports. He is set to concede the award to Manchester City defensive midfielder Rodri.
Vinicius was considered the favorite to win this year's Ballon d'Or after helping Real Madrid win three trophies last season. However, Rodri's role in Manchester City winning the Premier League title and Spain's Euro 2024 triumph has allegedly tipped the scales in his favor.
Due to this, Vinicius and other Real Madrid stars like Jude Bellingham and Dani Carvajal have opted to cancel their trip to Paris.
