A host of Premier League stars will vie with World Cup winner Lionel Messi and a host of international heroes to join the rarefied air breathed by winners of the Ballon d’Or.
There are favorites and super longshots for this award, but there are no doubts about the quality of players included on France Football’s 2023 shortlist.
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Twelve names on the list participated in the 2022-23 Premier League season, though Ilkay Gundogan is now with Barcelona and Harry Kane’s left for Bayern Munich. But Josko Gvardiol has come to England to put the active number at 11.
Who are the favorites for the award? It won’t surprise many to hear that Lionel Messi is at the top of most lists, and that he’s followed on many oddsmakers’ lists by Manchester City stars Erling Haaland, Kevin De Bruyne, and Rodri.
Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr, Paris Saint-Germain’s Kylian Mbappe, and Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham are also in the discussion.
2023 Ballon d’Or shortlist: The final nominees
Julian Alvarez
Nicolo Barella
Jude Bellingham
Yassine Bounou
Kevin De Bruyne
Ruben Dias
Antoine Griezmann
Ilkay Gundogan
Josko Gvardiol
Erling Haaland
Harry Kane
Randal Kolo Muani
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia
Robert Lewandowski
Emiliano Martinez
Lautaro Martinez
Kylian Mbappe
Lionel Messi
Min-jae Kim
Luka Modric
Jamal Musiala
Martin Odegaard
Victor Osimhen
Rodri
Bukayo Saka
Mohamed Salah
Bernardo Silva
Vinicius Jr
