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The 2023 Ballon d'Or winner will be announced on October 30. The 67th annual Ballon d'Or ceremony will be held at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris. The prestigious award is presented by the French news magazine France Football and it will recognise the best footballer in the world in the 2022-23 season.
Karim Benzema won the award last year and he was widely tipped to win it by fans and pundits across the globe following his exceptional performances for Real Madrid in the 2022-23 season. But the race is a lot tighter this year and it's difficult to mark anyone as a clear favourite to win the Ballon d'Or.
Without further ado, let's predict the top five ranks of the 2023 Ballon d'Or.
#5 Kevin De Bruyne (Belgium/Manchester City)
Kevin De Bruyne has arguably been Manchester City's most influential and impactful player of the Pep Guardiola era. The Belgian midfield maestro has astounded us with his remarkable technical qualities, vision and work ethic.
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He was at his best during the 2022-23 season, doubling down on his playmaking abilities and relentlessly creating chances for his teammates. De Bruyne also chipped in with crucial goals from time to time to help fire Manchester City to their first-ever continental treble.
The iconic Belgian midfielder put up incredible numbers last term and that's why he is definitely a top contender for the Ballon d'Or this year. He scored 10 goals and provided a whopping 31 assists in 49 appearances in all competitions for Manchester City in the 2022-23 season.
#4 Kylian Mbappe (France/Paris Saint-Germain)
Winning the 2022 FIFA World Cup would have been the crowning achievement for Kylian Mbappe in the quest for his first-ever Ballon d'Or. But alas, it was not to be.
Mbappe's incredible hat-trick in the World Cup final against Argentina went in vain and he had to walk away from the tournament with the Golden Boot as consolation.
The Frenchman was in irrepressible goalscoring form for club and country and finished as the top scorer in the Ligue 1 in the 2022-23 season. His exploits propelled Paris Saint-Germain to the Ligue 1 title last term.
In 43 appearances across all competitions for PSG last season, Mbappe scored 41 goals and provided 10 assists.
#3 Rodri (Spain/Manchester City)
Manchester City went through one of their worst spells in recent times a few weeks ago.They lost three consecutive domestic matches across the Premier League and the League Cup between September 30 and October 8. This massive dip in form can be directly attributed to Rodri's absence due to suspension.
He had picked up a straight red card in City's win over Nottingham Forest on September 23. This emphasizes Rodri's importance to City. He is a one-man army in midfield capable of breaking up the opposition's play and turning over possession in efficient fashion.
The Spaniard does the work of two people in midfield thanks to his technical, tactical and physical capabilities. But his contributions often go under the radar as defensive midfielders don't put up numbers like attackers do.
However, it's worth noting that Rodri does chip in with crucial goals too with his match-winning effort in the Champions League final against Inter Milan being a case in point. The 27-year-old won the UEFA Nations League with Spain in addition to the treble with City.
#2 Erling Haaland (Norway/Manchester City)
Erling Haaland proved to be the missing piece of the puzzle at Manchester City. Having roped him in during the summer of 2022, City became the juggernaut that Guardiola had been trying to transform them into for a while now.
The Norwegian marksman's incredible goalscoring form fired them to a historic treble. Haaland broke a lot of goalscoring records in his debut season in England, finishing the campaign with 52 goals and nine assists in 53 appearances across all competitions for City.
However, not being involved in the 2022 FIFA World Cup and an inability to produce strong performances in crucial matches could cost Haaland the Ballon d'Or.
#1 Lionel Messi (Argentina/Inter Miami)
Lionel Messi produced a string of mesmerizing performances at the 2022 FIFA World Cup to lead them to a historic triumph on football's biggest stage. The seven-time Ballon d'Or winner was on a mission to take home the elusive World Cup and gave it his all.
Messi scored seven goals and provided three assists in eight appearances at the 2022 FIFA World Cup and walked away with the Golden Ball as well. His form for Paris Saint-Germain was a little suspect in the second half of the season.
But he still managed to score 21 goals and provide 20 assists in 41 appearances in all competitions for PSG in the 2022-23 season. His exploits were crucial to their Ligue 1 title win. Tie that with his excellent World Cup win and he is likely to win a record-extending eighth Ballon d'Or on October 30.
