The shortlists for the 2023 Ballon d’Or have been announced, with Lionel Messi, Erling Haaland and Vinicius Junior among the nominees for the men’s award.
Aitana Bonmati is one of four members of Spain’s World Cup winning squad nominated for the Ballon d’Or Feminin, with Sophia Smith the USWNT’s sole representative.
The winners will be announced in Paris on October 30.
Record seven-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi has been nominated after captaining Argentina to their 2022 World Cup triumph. The 36-year-old forward scored seven goals in seven appearances and was named player of the tournament, before moving from Paris Saint-Germain to Inter Miami this summer.
Messi is one of four members of Argentina’s World Cup-winning squad nominated, alongside Emi Martinez, Lautaro Martinez and Julian Alvarez.
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Manchester City striker Erling Haaland is shortlisted after breaking the Premier League goal-scoring record during his debut season in England. He is joined by six other members of City’s treble-winning side from the 2022-23 campaign: Kevin De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva, Ruben Dias, Ilkay Gundogan (now of Barcelona), Alvarez and Rodri.
Current holder Karim Benzema is again shortlisted, having won the award for the first time in his career last year.
England have three representatives on the shortlist: Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham and Bukayo Saka.
Ballon d’Or nominees 2023
Josko Gvardiol (Manchester City, Croatia); Andre Onana (Manchester United, Cameroon); Karim Benzema (Al Ittihad, France); Jamal Musiala (Bayern Munich, Germany); Mohamed Salah (Liverpool, Egypt); Bukayo Saka (Arsenal, England); Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid, England); Randal Kolo Muani (PSG, France); Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City, Belgium); Bernardo Silva (Mancheser City, Portugal); Emi Martinez (Aston Villa, Argentina); Dominik Livakovic (Fenerbahce, Croatia); Ruben Dias (Manchester City, Portugal); Erling Haaland (Manchester City, Norway); Nicolo Barella (Inter, Italy); Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (Napoli, Georgia); Martin Odegaard (Arsenal, Norway); Ilkay Gundogan (Barcelona, Germany); Julian Alvarez (Manchester City, Argentina); Yassine Bounou (Al Hilal, Morocco); Vinicius Junior (Real Madrid, Brazil); Rodri (Manchester City, Spain); Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid, France); Lionel Messi (Inter Miami, Argentina); Lautaro Martinez (Inter, Argentina); Robert Lewandowski (Barcelona, Poland); Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich, South Korea); Luka Modric (Real Madrid, Croatia); Kylian Mbappe (PSG, France); Victor Osimhen (Napoli, Nigeria); Harry Kane (Bayern Munich, England)
For the Ballon d’Or Feminin, four members of Spain’s 2023 World Cup-winning squad have been nominated: Alba Redondo, and scorer of the winning goal in the final, Olga Carmona, Salma Paralluelo and player of the tournament Bonmati. Barcelona pair Patri Guijarro and Mapi Leon — two of the 15 players who stepped back from the national team last September demanding structural changes but did not return to the squad for the World Cup — are also nominated.
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Four members of the England squad that were beaten by Spain in the World Cup final are shortlisted: Mary Earps, Rachel Daly, Georgia Stanway and Millie Bright.
Forward Smith is the sole nominee from the USWNT and is vying to become the first U.S. winner since Megan Rapinoe in 2019. The 23-year-old was named the National Women’s Soccer League’s MVP for the 2022 season and carried that form into 2023 with 11 goals in 15 appearances.
Ballon d’Or Feminin nominees 2023
Kadidiatou Diani (Lyon, France); Linda Caicedo (Real Madrid, Colombia); Alba Redondo (Levante, Spain); Rachel Daly (Aston Villa, England); Fridolina Rolfo (Barcelona, Sweden); Olga Carmona (Real Madrid, Spain); Georgia Stanway (Bayern Munich, England); Amanda Ilestedt (Arsenal, Sweden); Hayley Raso (Real Madrid, Australia); Sophia Smith (Portland Thorns, USWNT); Salma Paralluelo (Barcelona, Spain); Millie Bright (Chelsea, England); Hinata Miyazawa (Manchester United, Japan); Lena Oberdorf (Wolfsburg, Germany); Daphne van Domselaar (Aston Villa, Netherlands); Patri Guijarro (Barcelona, Spain); Ewa Pajor (Wolfsburg, Poland); Guro Reiten (Chelsea, Norway); Sam Kerr (Chelsea, Australia); Debinha (Kansas City Current, Brazil); Aitana Bonmati (Barcelona, Spain); Alexandra Popp (Wolfsburg, Germany); Katie McCabe (Arsenal, Republic of Ireland); Yui Hasegawa (Manchester City, Japan); Jill Roord (Manchester City, Netherlands); Wendie Renard (Lyon, France); Asisat Oshoala (Barcelona, Nigeria); Mary Earps (Manchester United, England); Mapi Leon (Barcelona, Spain); Khadija Shaw (Manchester City, Jamaica)
The shortlist for the Kopa Trophy, the award given to the best young player, features three Barcelona players, with 2022 winner Gavi, Pedri and Alejandro Balde all nominated.
Jude Bellingham and Jamal Musiala, who have both been nominated for the Ballon d’Or, are also shortlisted for the Kopa Trophy.
Kopa Trophy nominees 2023
Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid, England); Gavi (Barcelona, Spain); Jamal Musiala (Bayern Munich, Germany), Eduardo Camavinga (Real Madrid, France), Pedri (Barcelona, Spain); Xavi Simons (RB Leipzig); Alejandro Balde (Barcelona, Spain); Antonio Silva (Benfica, Portugal); Rasmus Hojlund (Manchester United, Denmark); Elye Wahi (Lens, France)
The Yashin Trophy, the award for the best goalkeeper, features three players nominated for the main award: Emi Martinez, Yassine Bounou and Dominik Livakovic.
Current holder Thibaut Courtois is again shortlisted.
Yashin Trophy nominees 2023
Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid, Belgium); Emi Martinez (Aston Villa, Argentina); Aaron Ramsdale (Arsenal, England); Marc Andre ter Stegen (Barcelona, Germany); Yassine Bounou (Al Hilal, Morocco); Mike Maignan (France, Milan); Ederson (Manchester City, Brazil); Andre Onana (Manchester United, Cameroon), Dominik Livakovic (Fenerbahce, Croatia); Brice Samba (Lens, France)
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(Photo: Aurelien Meunier/Getty Images)
