Ballon d’Or Rankings. In the world of football, winning the Ballon d’Or is considered the pinnacle of personal achievement.
The Ballon d’Or is awarded by the French news publication France Football to the top football player each season.
It has grown to be one of the most sought awards in the beautiful game ever since its debut.
After leading Real Madrid to victory in La Liga and the Champions League in the 2021–2022 season, Karim Benzema won the Ballon d’Or in 2022.
Last year, he was the overwhelming favorite to win the prize. However, this year’s circumstances are more complicated, making it challenging to pick the winner.
When the victor is ultimately announced on October 29 it’s going to be a tough call because several players in the 2022–23 season performed incredible exploits.
Without any more delay, let’s take a look at the July 2023 Ballon d’Or Power Rankings.
#10 Robert Lewandowski (Poland/Barcelona)
When Robert Lewandowski joined Barcelona from Bayern Munich last summer, it was anticipated that he would significantly strengthen the team’s assault.
The legendary Pole succeeded in completing his mission. He carried his impressive scoring prowess to Camp Nou, where his goals helped Barcelona win the La Liga championship.
Last season, the 34-year-old made 46 appearances for the Catalans in all competitions, scoring 33 goals and dishing out eight assists.
He is not likely to win the coveted Ballon d’Or, something he has failed to do in prior years, or even place on the podium this year.
#9 Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (Georgia/Napoli)
The 2022–23 season’s standout star is Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.
When the Georgian international arrived in Naples last summer, he wasn’t well-known.
But thanks to his impressive performances, he quickly became a great fan favorite among the Partenopei and an immediate sensation.
Kvaratskhelia’s excellent dribbling, passing, vision, and shooting range caused havoc for Napoli.
Even though the 22-year-old’s performance has dipped a bit since the beginning of the year, Napoli’s first Serie A championship in 33 years was made possible thanks in large part to his heroics.
In 43 appearances for Napoli last season in all competitions, he registered 14 goals and 17 assists.
#8 Vinicius Junior (Brazil/Real Madrid)
When Real Madrid won the La Liga and Champions League championships in the 2021–22 season, Vinicius Junior was among their notable players.
He only upped his game last season and was in excellent form for Real Madrid.
Real Madrid’s victories in the Copa del Rey, FIFA Club World Cup, and UEFA Super Cup were significantly aided by his bravery.
Vinicius will lose out on the Ballon d’Or this year because he was unable to win the La Liga and Champions League championships.
The Brazilian winger made 55 appearances in all competitions, making 23 goals and 21 assists.
#7 Victor Osimhen (Nigeria/Napoli)
With his performances last season, Victor Osimhen was able to permanently inscribe his name in Napoli mythology.
By scoring the winning goal that gave Napoli their first Serie A championship in 33 years, he capped off the best personal season of his career so far.
He is currently one of the most sought-after strikers in the world.
The Nigerian striker played 39 times for Napoli across all competitions in 2022–23, making 31 goals and contributing five assists.
#6 Ilkay Gundogan (Germany/Barcelona)
Ilkay Gundogan will be greatly missed at Manchester City next season hence has accepted a free move to Barcelona.
Gundogan is not only one of the most technically brilliant midfielders of his generation, but he has also demonstrated an almost unmatched capacity to perform well under pressure.
In the last stretch of the 2022–23 season, Gundogan was undoubtedly Manchester City’s best player.
Gundogan made sure that City reached the promised land and captured the continental treble with his excellent play toward the end of the season.
The 32-year-old scored twice against Manchester United in the FA Cup final.
In addition, he contributed an assist in each of City’s final three Premier League games, which helped them edge over Arsenal to win the league.
For City in the 2022–23 season, Gundogan made 51 appearances across all competitions, contributing seven assists and 11 goals.
#5 Kevin De Bruyne (Belgium/Manchester City)
The main creator for Manchester City during their historic treble-winning season was Kevin De Bruyne, as per usual.
With Erling Haaland, the Belgian midfielder formed a strong relationship, and City frequently outplayed their rivals because of the Belgian’s outstanding passing range and vision.
For Pep Guardiola’s team last season, De Bruyne made 49 appearances in all competitions, contributing a staggering 31 assists and scoring 10 goals.
If the 32-year-old made the Ballon d’Or podium this year, it wouldn’t be shocking.
#4 Kylian Mbappe (France/Paris Saint-Germain)
Individually, Kylian Mbappe had yet another outstanding season. With Paris Saint-Germain, he won the Ligue 1 championship.
With 29 goals in 34 games, he concluded the season as the league’s leading scorer.
Additionally, Mbappe earned the Golden Boot in the 2022 FIFA World Cup and even scored a hat-trick in France’s defeat to Argentina in the championship game of the sport.
Mbappe’s prospects of winning the Ballon d’Or this year will be hampered by his Round of 16 Champions League departure and narrow World Cup loss.
Mbappe might place on the podium or possibly win this year’s Ballon d’Or if the award is ultimately decidedly based solely on individual merit.
He did, after all, make 43 games for Paris Saint-Germain in all competitions while scoring 41 goals and dishing out 10 assists.
#3 Rodri (Spain/Manchester City)
The world’s best-holding midfielder, according to some, is Rodri.
The pivotal midfielder for Manchester City has been a formidable opponent in the middle of the field.
He puts forth a lot of effort, and his superb technical skill and ability to understand the game make him a stalwart in the middle of the field.
In all competitions during the 2022–23 season, Rodri started 52 games for City, the most of any player on their roster.
The Spaniard was instrumental in Spain’s UEFA Nations League victory in addition to helping City win the continental treble.
In 56 appearances in all competitions for the Citizens in the previous season, he registered four goals and seven assists.
#2 Erling Haaland (Norway/Manchester City)
Last season, Erling Haaland joined Manchester City and dominated the Premier League.
The record for the most goals scored by any player in a single Premier League season was one of many scoring records he broke.
The Manchester City striker scored 36 goals in his first season in the English Premier League.
Haaland is only 22 years old and he has already made a name for himself as the best striker in the world.
His prodigious goal-scoring ability was a major factor in making Manchester City the unstoppable force they were in the previous season.
During the 2022–23 season, he made 53 appearances for City in all competitions, scoring 52 goals and contributing nine assists.
With them, Haaland won the continental triple, so there’s a good chance he’ll take home his first Ballon d’Or this year.
#1 Lionel Messi (Argentina/Inter Miami)
Could Lionel Messi set a new record this year by winning his ninth Ballon d’Or?
The eminent Argentinian has undoubtedly made a compelling argument for it.
To begin with, he led Argentina to World Cup success and took home the Golden Ball award.
Even though his performance dipped in the second half of the campaign, Messi was a key player in PSG’s Ligue 1 championship win the year before.
The 35-year-old, who has since joined Inter Miami, produced commendable stats for his team as well.
Messi made 41 appearances for PSG in all competitions in 2022–23, making 21 goals and 20 assists.
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