As the nominations have been flooding in for the 2023 Ballon D’or award, who’s looking the likely winner and who do writers from across the country believe could be a winner of the biggest solo prize in football, in the future.
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00:00 We are well and truly out of arguably the most historic rivalry era in football history.
00:07 From 2008 to 2021 Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi dominated the Ballon d'Or,
00:13 with only Luka Modric breaking their stronghold in 2018.
00:17 Last autumn saw Karim Benzema lift Francis for the first time since Zinedine Zidane,
00:22 and once more the podium spots could be anyone's.
00:25 But though Cristiano Ronaldo isn't looking likely to be anywhere near the running Lionel Messi is
00:31 following his World Cup triumph, this was a very different two-horse race.
00:36 I think they still know he's one of the greatest of all time
00:39 and they will argue if they're strong Ronaldo fans that he is the greatest.
00:42 So I don't think it will faze them too much in the long term.
00:45 Right now though they'll be thinking 'Oh my word, like really?'
00:48 In the day the Ballon d'Or is for, it's got to be recognised for the league.
00:51 You could be scoring dozens of goals in the National League, you're not going to get nominated are you?
00:56 Not that I'm comparing those two divisions, but it almost feels a bit like that.
01:00 I think it is slightly shocking because you always expect his name to be on there.
01:04 For all of our lives he's been on there.
01:06 But I think it's worthy because the Saudi league just isn't good enough.
01:11 It's not up there with the best divisions in the world and he got to do that according to it.
01:15 Still the favourite for the Ballon d'Or has seven of the award already in his cabinet at home.
01:21 Lionel Messi could well extend the record of the most wins to eight,
01:25 having inspired Argentina to a World Cup title in Qatar.
01:29 OK, so Paris Saint-Germain did nothing in Europe once more.
01:33 Lionel Messi won the golden ball at the World Cup though,
01:36 becoming the first player to ever win it twice.
01:39 So how much of an impact does the World Cup have on deciding the winner?
01:43 Yeah, it's going to be, it looks like it's a two-horse race doesn't it?
01:47 Obviously Messi finally winning the World Cup after so many attempts.
01:50 And Haaland that unbelievable season in a history-making campaign for Manchester City.
01:56 How much gravitas does the World Cup hold?
01:59 Because apart from the World Cup, Messi had probably an average season didn't he for PSG?
02:06 For me Erling Haaland has got to be the standout winner.
02:09 In terms of what Manchester City achieved last season as a team,
02:12 obviously winning three trophies and the Champions League as well.
02:17 But of course he scored so many goals, broke so many records in the process of City achieving that.
02:24 So yeah, for me he's the obvious candidate.
02:26 I know a lot of people will say Lionel Messi and he was so instrumental in Argentina winning the World Cup.
02:31 And I was just discussing how important the World Cup is in the Ballon d'Or vote
02:36 and how often the winning World Cup side tend to have a player who picks up the Ballon d'Or.
02:42 But yeah, for me I think it should be Haaland.
02:46 As the ceremony gets closer, you do feel that Lionel Messi is getting more of a grasp on his eighth crowning of the award.
02:54 The team of the year is also announced on the same night
02:57 and there's no doubt that these two titans will be next to each other on the biggest stage.
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