Who are the Top Contenders for Ballon-D'or 2024?

Messi and Ronaldo have dominated the Ballon d’Or for ages, but 2024 will be a magical year because the race doesn't have two giants in the football world. To people who are new to the football industry, this term may appear as Gibberish but don't you worry lad, NLB predictions have got you covered.  Before deep diving into the topic and letting you know the top contenders of the Ballon d'Or, we will first give a quick recap of what is it about 

What is Ballon Dor and who decides the winner and contenders 

According to the insights revealed at Goal, com, the Ballon d’Or is the biggest football award given to a player for his performance in a calendar year. The governing body behind this award is the French football publication along with the editorial team of famous sports media and Ballon D or ambassador. 

Criteria that are used to make the selection 

• Players performance in domestic and international matches 
• Team playing spirit of the player 
• Players' behavior in the field. 

Now that you know what the trophy is all about and why players flex this award after receiving it, we will let you know about the top contenders of Ballon D or in 2024. Our team of done meticulous research on examining different players and their performance throughout the calendar year we have these 15 names at your disposal 

Top Contenders of Ballon D’or for 2024

       1. Florian Witz (club: Bayer  Leverkusen, National team: Germany)

This 21-year-old had a magical start from the day he made his debut. Throughout the season we have seen the elite football skills of this player. With 12 goals and 11 assists this wonderboy has been stealing all the attention in the European Championship 

        2. Rodrygo (club: Real Madrid, National team: Germany)

The club calls him the silent killer because the goalkeeper doesn't even see the ball when he shoots for the goal. It's a bullseye time. Real Madrid already has big names in their team but shining among the greats in challenges, but still, this starkid has people chanting his name in the stadium. Scoring 15 goals in the Champions League and La Liga this boy is surely an asset for Brazil and Madrid. 

        3. Bukayo Saka (club: Arsenal, National team: England)

This 22-year-old has mixed reactions in the football world. Some call him the future of England while some say he is just by luck and lacks talent as a football player. Whatever might be the performance tells otherwise. According to print media of England, if England had won Europe 2024 the ballon d was fixed for him since he scored 15 goals and 15 assists in the Champions League 

        4. Erling Haaland (club: Real Madrid, National team: Germany)

The fans were outraged when Messi lifted the Ballon d’Or trophy in 2023. They say that the clear winner was Erling Haaland. In the previous season, his total goal tally was 52 in domestic and international football, but the governing body behind the award still did not find him worthy. Norway failed to qualify for Euro 2024, which means he has a low chance of winning the trophy this year, but still, we have excellence from his 2024, we could only hope for the best. 

         5. Antonio Rudiger (club: Real Madrid, National team: Germany)

The club had this player taken from Chelsea and they say it is the best decision they have ever made. Currently, he is known as the world's best center-back and has shown massive scores in the Champions League and La Liga. If Germany had made it to the semi-final before getting kicked out of the quarter-final stage, the chances of him winning the trophy would have been much higher. 

         6. Julain Alvarez (club: Manchester City, National team: Argentina)

People call him the new messiah of football after Messi since his trophy collection continues to grow. In addition, he has 21 goals and seven 13 assists in the DFL Supercup and Euro 2024.  Though he scored a hat trick in the DLF Supercup, he missed some of the club games due to his internal injuries. Nevertheless, he is one of the most appreciated players in Manchester City and in Argentina 

         7. Alvaro Morata (club: Ateltico Madrid, National team: Spain)

This player from Spain is regarded as a golden boy since whenever he touches the ball it's a goal. With 28 goals and six assists in his calendar year, he is one of the best strikers in Europe and one of the best investments for Atletico Madrid.  As Spain triumphed in Euro 2024, with him as the captain, he only managed one goal during the season giving his teammates all the glory to shine 

         8. Lamine Yamal (club: Barcelona, National team: Spain)

This player from Spain has a lot of potential, he is just 16 and people are already calling him the next Ronaldo. He is a goal-scoring machine and his performance in Euro 2024 has been exceptional.  With 10 goals and 18 assists, he picked up the trophy of the best young player of the tournament 

         9. Nico Willams (club: Athletic Club, National team: Spain)

Though his performance in Euro 2024 wasn't great he put up a show while playing for his club.  In La Liga, he showed his brilliant performance and the club was so impressed that they extended their contract. However, with his 11 goals and 25 assists, he brought the trophy of Copa del Ray for the first time in 40 years. 

        10. Phil Foden (club: Manchester City, National team: England)

Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne missed some of his club games due to their injury and this is the time when Phil Foden stepped up with 28 goals and 12 assists for his club. In addition during his season, he scored two premier league hattrick but failed to show performance for his national team England 

Takeaway 

We have researched long and hard to bring forward the top contenders of Euro 2024 before your eyes. This research is completely based on our perspective and has no way of denoting that your set of contenders is not worthy. If you found this information useful or want to add your set of insights, feel free to reach out in the comments and subscribe to our newsletter.