Lionel Messi secured his eighth Ballon d’Or award thanks to his time at Paris Saint Germain and leading Argentina to victory in the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Messi became the first player to win the award while playing outside of Europe, although his award accolades precede his time in Miami.
The race for the 2024 Ballon d’Or has already begun, and some players have started their campaign on a good note. Here are the players who have made a positive start to their bid for the award and who to keep an eye on as the competitions rev up in the new year.
5 players in the 2024 Ballon d’Or award race
Manchester City’s Erling Haaland
In 2023, it was surprising that Erling Haaland came in second and did not win the award despite an outstanding performance in his first year with Manchester City. Haaland scored 52 goals in all competitions and helped Manchester City achieve a treble…