Messi, ‘Dibu’, Julián Álvarez and Lautaro are part of the thirty nominees for the Ballon d’Or

Lionel Messi, Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappé or the 2022 winner Karim Benzema are on the list of thirty nominees for the 2023 Ballon d’Or, revealed this Wednesday, while the world champion Spanish team has five applicants on the list of candidates in the female category.

In contrast, Cristiano Ronaldo, a five-time Ballon d’Or winner and now a player for Saudi Arabia’s Al Nassr, is largely absent from the list.

His historical rival, the Argentine Messi, world champion with the Albiceleste in Qatar-2022, is favorite to win an eighth Ballon d’Or, despite his departure from Paris Saint-Germain to play for Inter Miami of the American MLS, a less flashy championship compared to the major European leagues.

Since his arrival in Florida, yes, Messi shines with goals and assists. Against him, his main rivals for this year’s Ballon d’Or are the Norwegian Erling Haaland (23 years old, Manchester City) and the Frenchman Kylian Mbappé (24 years old, Paris Saint-Germain).

Haaland has just won the UEFA trophy for best player of the 2022-2023 season, after signing 52 goals -taking all competitions into account- in his first season with Manchester City.

Mbappé was runner-up in the world in Qatar-2022 and scored 36 goals in 42 games with PSG last season. In the new season of Ligue 1 he has scored five goals in three games.

In addition to Messi, there are three other world champion Argentine players on the list of nominees: Julián Álvarez, Lautaro Martínez and Emiliano Martínez.

Among the new names on the list is the English prodigy Jude Bellingham, recently signed by Real Madrid, the also English Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), the young German from Bayern Munich Jamal Musiala or the new French striker from PSG Randal Kolo Muani.