Ballon d'Or 2024: Vinicius Jr and Martin Odegaard among third set of 5 nominees for prestigious award

The third set of five Ballon d'Or nominees has been released with Real Madrid winger Vinicius Junior and Arsenal playmaker Martin Odegaard making the list. Dani Olmo, who made the switch from RB Leipzig to Barcelona this summer, and Florian Wirtz of Bayer Leverkusen are also on the list. Mats Hummels, who recently joined AS Roma from Borussia Dortmund, is the final name in the third set of nominees.

Vinicius Jr. is among the favorites for the award. The Real Madrid winger had a truly brilliant season, leading the club to win La Liga and the Champions League. The 24-year-old scored 15 goals and provided five assists in the league, while ensuring continental success with six goals and four assists in ten games.

Martin Odegaard is well worthy of his Ballon d'Or nomination, despite the Gunners' trophyless 2023-24 campaign. He had a brilliant season at an individual level, scoring eight goals and providing ten assists in 35 Premier League games. He also scored twice in nine Champions League appearances.

Florian Wirtz lead Bayer Leverkusen to an unbeaten domestic season in Germany. They won the Bundesliga and DFB Pokal, while reaching the final of the Europa League. Wirtz scored 18 goals and provided 19 assists in 49 games across all competitions.

Dani Olmo showcased brilliant performances for Spain, leading them to win Euro 2024. At club level, he did well, scoring eight goals and providing five assists in 25 games. However, for his country, Olmo shone, scoring thrice and providing two assists in just six Euro appearances.

Mats Hummels is another quality addition to the Ballon d'Or list, thanks to his performances in the UEFA Champions League. He played 13 games in the competition, keeping six clean sheets in those games, and helping Borussia Dortmund reach the final, where they lost to Real Madrid.