The Ballon d’Or power rankings has been reviewed following the conclusion of Europe’s top five leagues (Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga, Serie A and Ligue 1) over the weekend.
The winner of the Ballon d’Or 2023 will be announced on Monday, October 16, 2023.
Five players deserve to be in the Ballon d’Or power rankings top five following the conclusion of Europe’s major leagues over the weekend.
Recall that Real Madrid striker, Karim Benzema picked up the Ballon d’Or in 2022.
In the last 30 days, football pundits, present and past players and football managers, among others, have been vying for their preferred football stars that should win the 2023 Ballon d’Or.
Here are the Ballon d’Or Power Rankings after the completion of Europe’s top five leagues:
1. Erling Haaland (Manchester City) – Haaland won the Premier League and FA Cup. He won the top scorer award for the Premier League after scoring a record-breaking 36 goals. The Norway international is also the top scorer in the Champions League. He could win the Champions League when Man City face Inter Milan on June 10. Haaland has scored 52 goals and provided nine assists across all competitions for Pep Guardiola’s side.
2. Lionel Messi (Argentina) – Messi led Argentina to win the World Cup last December. The 35-year-old also won the Golden Ball at football’s showpiece event. Messi already has seven Ballon d’Or awards. The former Barcelona captain who played his last match for Paris Saint-Germain over the weekend against Clermont Foot, won the French Ligue 1 title with the Parisians. However, Messi might not be a clear-cut favourite anymore as PSG’s early exit from the Champions League this season was a huge setback. In 41 appearances across all competitions for PSG, Messi scored 21 goals and provided 20 assists for PSG before his departure.
3. Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain) – PSG’s early Champions League exit in the Round of 16 against Bayern Munich has done no favours for Mbappe and his quest for his maiden Ballon d’Or.
But Mbappe’s incredible goal-scoring form for both club and country could be enough to propel him to the podium this year.
The France international scored more than 50 goals for club and country this season. The 24-year-old won the Golden Boot at the 2022 FIFA World Cup and also scored a hat-trick in the final against Argentina. Mbappe scored 41 goals and registered 10 in 43 appearances for PSG in all competitions this season.
4. Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City) – De Bruyne led Man City to win the Premier League title and the FA Cup this season. The Belgium international will also hope to lead Pep Guardiola’s side to win the Champions League when they face Inter Milan in the final. He has been Man City’s creative lynchpin and scored 10 goals and registered an incredible 31 assists in 48 appearances across all competitions for the Premier League champions so far this season.
The 31-year-old has done enough to be a serious contender for the Ballon d’Or this year.
5. Victor Osimhen (Napoli) – Osimhen was impressive for Napoli this season as he led them to win the Serie A title. The Nigeria international has established himself as one of the best strikers in the world. He also helped Napoli reach the quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions League this season.
In 38 appearances across all competitions for Napoli this season, the 24-year-old scored 30 goals and registered five assists. With his performances this season, Osimhen has done enough to earn a place on the Ballon d’Or podium.
