Lionel Messi is the bookies favourite to win the Ballon d’Or (AFP via Getty Images)
The Ballon d’Or awards ceremony takes place at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris this evening when football’s most prestigious prize is presented to the best footballer from the 2022/23 season.
Lionel Messi, the favourite to win the Ballon d’Or, is the most decorated winner of all time with seven triumphs to his name. His heroics in helping Argentina win the World Cup mean Messi looks likely to extend his record with an eighth win but he faces competition from Manchester City’s Erling Haaland who had a record-breaking season of his own and PSG’s Kylian Mbappe after he won Ligue 1 and played a huge part in taking France to the World Cup final.
The women’s award, the Ballon d’Or Féminin, will also be handed out this evening. Spain’s Aitana Bonmati is the favourite to succeed Alexia Putellas as the award winner after leading Spain to their Women’s World Cup triumph and Barcelona to the Women’s Champions League but there may be some surprises in store at the ceremony.
Follow along for the latest updates from the Ballon d’Or awards in Paris with our liveblog below:
Ballon d’Or Awards
The Ballon d’Or awards ceremony will begin around 8pm GMT
Chelsea legend Didier Drogba will present the awards live from the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris
Lionel Messi is the favourite to win the Ballon d’Or for an eighth time
Ballon d’Or nominees: Full list for all four awards
Early list reveals Mohamed Salah 11th, Harry Kane in 19th
Ballon d’Or awards LIVE
19:56 , Karl Matchett
So what else do we get for our money tonight? Not just the Ballon d’Or and Feminin, but also the Kopa and Yashin trophies we’ve mentioned previously. PLUS! The following three:
Gerd Muller Trophy, for the striker to score the most goals for club and country
Socrates Award, which recognises humanitarian work
Club of the year award
Ballon d’Or awards LIVE
19:53 , Karl Matchett
L’Equipe are showing the clips of the 11th to 15th players now – Emi Martinez’s highlights reel from the World Cup was pretty special, particularly that final save from Randal Kolo Muani. So many sliding doors moments in that match!
And yet he’s not the top ranked goalkeeper, with Yassine Bounou, of Morocco and Sevilla last season, pipping him in 13th.
A few Lewandowski goals, some Gundogan assists and then Mohamed Salah’s trickery, finishing and celebrations.
That’s your handful on the cusp of the top ten – soon we’ll be into the chosen few for the main event.
Ballon d’Or awards LIVE
19:48 , Karl Matchett
All three English players revealed there have had great starts to 2023/24 season too, in three different leagues now of course: Kane in Germany, Bellingham in Spain and Saka remaining in the Premier League.
Ballon d’Or awards LIVE
19:45 , Karl Matchett
We’re about 15 minutes from the ceremony due to be starting, with Didier Drogba the master presenter this evening.
Mbappe is in the house…so too the trophy itself. Would he be a cert to be lifting it if he had been on the winning team in the World Cup final ten months ago?
Ballon d’Or awards LIVE
19:42 , Karl Matchett
Interestingly, the Ballon d’Or nominees have just been released in the order they finished…up to the top ten of course!
Here are the finishers 11th to 30th in the men’s award:
11. Mohamed Salah (Egypt, Liverpool)
12. Robert Lewandowski (Poland, Barcelona)
13. Yassine Bounou (Morocco, Sevilla/Al-Hilal)
14. Ilkay Gundogan (Germany, Manchester City/Barcelona)
15. Emiliano Martinez (Argentina, Aston Villa)
16. Karim Benzema (France, Real Madrid/Al-Ittihad)
17. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (Georgia, Napoli)
18. Jude Bellingham (England, Borussia Dortmund/Real Madrid)
19. Harry Kane (England, Tottenham/Bayern Munich)
20. Lautaro Martinez (Argentina, Inter Milan)
21. Antoine Griezmann (France, Atletico Madrid)
22. Min-jae Kim (South Korea, Napoli/Bayern Munich)
23. Andre Onana (Cameroon, Inter Milan/Manchester United)
24. Bukayo Saka (England, Arsenal)
25. Josko Gvardiol (Croatia, Leipzig/Manchester City)
26. Jamal Musiala (Germany, Bayern Munich)
27. Nicolo Barella (Italy, Inter Milan)
28. Martin Odegaard (Norway, Arsenal)
28. Randal Kolo Muani (France, Eintracht Frankfurt/Paris St-Germain)
30. Ruben Dias (Portugal, Manchester City)
Ballon d’Or awards LIVE
19:40 , Karl Matchett
Ederson, Bernardo Silva, Rodri and Erling Haaland all make their entrances, the Man City contingent stopping to take a few photos on the way and salute the waiting fans. Briefly, at least.
Haaland is grabbed for a quick word as he waltzes through and gives his customary brief, obvious and understated responses.
“I slept really well, I played really good yesterday. I think it’s every footballer’s dream to win so yeah. All the guys here deserve it.”
Ballon d’Or awards LIVE
19:35 , Karl Matchett
The stars are arriving! Here’s the favourite for the men’s award tonight, Leo Messi with family alongside him.
Will he be celebrating title No.8 tonight? Well, let’s not spoil it too early…
What is the difference between the Ballon d’Or and The Best Fifa Awards?
19:30 , Karl Matchett
Just in case you were wondering what the main differences are between the two showpiece awards, here’s a quick explainer for you from back in February – when “The Best” awards were being given out – which details how they came about, who gives each one and how the voting systems work.
Tonight is very much Ballon d’Or night!
What is the difference between the Ballon d’Or and The Best Fifa Awards?
Ballon d’Or awards LIVE
19:24 , Karl Matchett
It’s not all about the Ballon d’Or award for Lionel Messi – the big new signing of Inter Miami CF is a finalist for Major League Soccer’s newcomer of the year too.
The league announced those up for its year-end awards Thursday with the winners being named throughout the MLS Cup Playoffs.
It is no surprise that Messi, Argentina’s great who joined Inter Miami this summer, would be up for the honor. The global great has created a sensation since coming to play in the United States’ top soccer league. He has posted 11 goals and eight assists since joining Miami for the MLS Leagues Cup competition in July.
Lionel Messi is a finalist for the MLS Newcomer of the Year award
Ballon d’Or awards LIVE
19:18 , Karl Matchett
Georgia Stanway says it is frustrating the Ballon d’Or ceremony taking place on the eve of a round of women’s international games was not “planned a little bit better”.
The England and Bayern Munich midfielder is among the nominees but will not be at Monday evening’s ceremony in Paris as she prepares for the Lionesses’ match against Belgium in Leuven, part of a busy schedule of Nations League fixtures on Tuesday.
Stanway, whose international team-mates Mary Earps, Millie Bright and Rachel Daly have also been shortlisted for the prestigious awards, told a press conference regarding her nomination: “It’s very cool, and nice to get the accolade as well as a lot of the team-mates in the Lionesses.
“There’s a few people I would also add to the list who have had very, very successful years. It’s a real achievement to be amongst those names.
“It’s unfortunate we couldn’t be there. That’s something we spoke as a player group (about), and we just kind of said it would be nice in the future if it wasn’t on a matchday minus one, so that we could enjoy the experience. It is (frustrating), because it’s potentially a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. You never know if you’re ever going to get selected for such an accolade like that again, so it would be really nice to enjoy the experience and be there and feel like a star amongst the stars.”
More here:
Georgia Stanway disappointed to miss ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ Ballon d’Or ceremony
Lionel Messi is no longer the best in the world but he still deserves one last Ballon d’Or
19:12 , Karl Matchett
For the eighth and probably last time, Lionel Messi will win the Ballon d’Or tonight. Messi will beat competition from Manchester City’s treble-winners, an inevitable result after he inspired Argentina to their first World Cup since Diego Maradona did the same in 1986. The betting has stopped, and the only mystery left at the Paris ceremony is to guess the fabric of his suit.
Messi’s journey can be told in football and in fashion choices. He collected his first Ballon d’Or in 2009 wearing a basic black suit and tie, looking like a boy at the school prom, and with each passing year his attire became more bold: the bow tie and tux in 2010, the velvet sheen in 2011 and the garish polka dots in 2012 symbolising the blooming confidence of a young man who could do no wrong, who could take a hideous suit like a bad pass and turn it into something great, or at least slightly less hideous, by dint of his own brilliance.
Things got a little out of hand in 2013 when he wore a full red ensemble, an outfit which, in hindsight, didn’t deserve to win. Messi was beaten by Cristiano Ronaldo two years in a row, and when he finally resumed his throne in 2015, he did so back in a classic black tuxedo. In 2019, Messi’s simple grey tie was a suitably sombre look to end his four-year winless drought, before the shimmering sparkles of 2021 which lit him up like a galaxy as he claimed No 7.
Lawrence Ostlere takes a look at Messi’s magic – and his wardrobe – as the Ballon d’Or awards approach:
Lionel Messi is no longer the best in the world but he deserves one last Ballon d’Or
Ballon d’Or awards LIVE
19:06 , Karl Matchett
…and the ‘modern’ era, also known as the Cristiano and Messi era. It’s fairly routine and repetitive, as far as being continually the greatest (as voted by those who do, at least) goes.
2008 Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal
2009 Lionel Messi, Argentina
2010 Lionel Messi, Argentina
2011 Lionel Messi, Argentina
2012 Lionel Messi, Argentina
2013 Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal
2014 Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal
2015 Lionel Messi, Argentina
2016 Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal
2017 Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal
2018 Luka Modric, Croatia
2019 Lionel Messi, Argentina
2020 Not Awarded, Covid
2021 Lionel Messi, Argentina
2022 Karim Benzema, France
2023 … ?!
Ballon d’Or awards LIVE
19:00 , Karl Matchett
How about a trek through history and the previous winners of the Ballon d’Or?
All the way back to 1990 we go! Let’s face it, not much point starting 2008 or any later as there aren’t too many names on it from that point…!
1990 Lothar Matthaus, Germany
1991 Jean Pierre Papin, France
1992 Marco van Basten, Netherlands
1993 Roberto Baggio, Italy
1994 Hristo Stoichkov, Bulgaria
1995 George Weah, Liberia
1996 Matthias Sammer, Germany
1997 Ronaldo, Brazil
1998 Zinedine Zidane, France
1999 Rivaldo, Brazil
2000 Luis Figo, Portugal
2001 Michael Owen, England
2002 Ronaldo, Brazil
2003 Pavel Nedved, Czech Republic
2004 Andriy Shevchenko, Ukraine
2005 Ronaldinho, Brazil
2006 Fabio Cannavaro, Italy
2007 Kaka, Brazil
Ballon d’Or shortlist: Who are the nominees for 2023 award tonight?
18:54 , Karl Matchett
Ballon d’Or 2023: Who is nominated for the Kopa Trophy?
Xavi (RB Leipzig / PSV Eindhoven)
Jamal Musiala (FC Bayern)
Jude Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund / Real Madrid)
Alejandro Balde (FC Barcelona)
Eduardo Camavinga (Real Madrid)
Gavi (FC Barcelona)
Rasmus Höjlund (Atalanta / Manchester United)
Pedri (FC Barcelona)
Antonio Silva (Benfica)
Elye Wahi (HSC Montpellier / RC Lens)
Ballon d’Or shortlist: Who are the nominees for 2023 award tonight?
18:48 , Karl Matchett
Ballon d’Or 2023: Who is shortlisted for the Yashin Trophy?
Brice Samba (Lens)
Dominik Livakovic (Dinamo Zagreb and Fenerbahce)
Aaron Ramsdale (Arsenal)
Andre Onana (Inter Milan and Manchester United)
Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa)
Ederson (Manchester City)
Marc-Andre Ter Stegen (Barcelona)
Mike Maignan (AC Milan)
Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid)
Yassine Bounou (Sevilla and Al-Hilal)
Ballon d’Or shortlist: Who are the nominees for 2023 award tonight?
18:42 , Karl Matchett
Ballon d’Or Féminin 2023: Who is nominated for the women’s award?
Daphne Van Domselaar (Twente and Aston Villa)
Lena Oberdorf (Vfl Wolfsburg)
Hinata Miyazawa (MyNavi Sendai)
Millie Bright (Chelsea)
Salma Paralluelo (Barcelona)
Sophia Smith (Portland Thorns)
Hayley Raso (Manchester City and Real Madrid)
Amanda Ilestedt (Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal)
Georgia Stanway (Bayern Munich)
Olga Carmona (Real Madrid)
Fridolina Rolfo (Barcelona)
Rachel Daly (Aston Villa)
Alba Redondo (Levante)
Lina Caicedo (Real Madrid)
Kadidiatou Diani (Paris Saint-Germain and Olympique Lyonnais)
Patricia Guijarro (Barcelona)
Ewa Pajor (Vfl Wolfsburg)
Guro Reiten (Chelsea)
Sam Kerr (Chelsea)
Debinha (North Carlina Courage and Kansas City Current)
Aitana Bonmati (Barcelona)
Alexandra Popp (Vfl Wolfsburg)
Yui Hasegawa (Manchester City)
Jill Roord (Vfl Wolfsburg and Manchester City)
Katie McCabe (Arsenal)
Wendie Renard (Olympique Lyonnais)
Asisat Oshoala (Barcelona)
Mary Earps (Manchester United)
Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw (Manchester City)
Mapi Leon (Barcelona)
Ballon d’Or shortlist: Who are the nominees for 2023 award tonight?
18:36 , Karl Matchett
Ballon d’Or 2023: Who is nominated for the men’s award?
Josko Gvardiol (RB Leipzig and Manchester City)
Andre Onana (Inter Milan and Manchester United)
Karim Benzema (Real Madrid and Al-Ittihad)
Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
Jamal Musiala (Bayern Munich)
Bukayo Saka (Arsenal)
Randal Kolo Muani (Eintracht Frankfurt and Paris Saint-Germain)
Jude Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid)
Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City)
Bernardo Silva (Manchester City)
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (Napoli)
Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa)
Ruben Dias (Manchester City)
Nicolo Barella (Inter Milan)
Erling Haaland (Manchester City)
Martin Odegaard (Arsenal)
Ilkay Gundogan (Manchester City and Barcelona)
Yassine Bounou (Sevilla and Al-Hilal)
Julian Alvarez (Manchester City)
Vinicius Jr (Real Madrid)
Rodrigo (Manchester City)
Lionel Messi (Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Miami)
Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid)
Lautaro Martinez (Inter Milan)
Robert Lewandowski (Barcelona)
Kim Min-jae (Napoli and Bayern Munich)
Luka Modric (Real Madrid)
Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-German)
Victor Osimhen (Napoli)
Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur and Bayern Munich)
Ballon d’Or awards LIVE
18:30 , Karl Matchett
A reminder that tonight’s not just about these two major awards for the men’s and women’s game.
We’ll also see the Yashin trophy handed out for the top goalkeeper of the year, and the Kopa trophy for the best youngster around.
The current holders of those two are Real Madrid’s Thibaut Courtois and Barcelona’s Gavi respectively.
Previous winners of the Yashin are Alisson Becker and Gianluigi Donnaruma.
And the earliest Kopa winners were Kylian Mbappe, Matthijs de Ligt and Pedri.
Ballon d’Or odds list
18:20 , Karl Matchett
Not much to split the favourites…only kidding. Leo Messi is far and away the favourite to win after triumphing at the World Cup. Odds from gambling.com:
Messi 1/9
Haaland 9/2
Vini Jr 50/1
De Bruyne 50/1
Rodri 50/1
And for the Feminin winner, Aitana Bonmati is a similarly overwhelming favourite:
Bonmati 1/5
Carmona 8/1
Earps 10/1
Kerr 16/1
Lionel Messi is no longer the best in the world but he still deserves one last Ballon d’Or
18:10 , Karl Matchett
For the eighth and probably last time, Lionel Messi will win the Ballon d’Or tonight. Messi will beat competition from Manchester City’s treble-winners, an inevitable result after he inspired Argentina to their first World Cup since Diego Maradona did the same in 1986. The betting has stopped, and the only mystery left at the Paris ceremony is to guess the fabric of his suit.
Messi’s journey can be told in football and in fashion choices. He collected his first Ballon d’Or in 2009 wearing a basic black suit and tie, looking like a boy at the school prom, and with each passing year his attire became more bold: the bow tie and tux in 2010, the velvet sheen in 2011 and the garish polka dots in 2012 symbolising the blooming confidence of a young man who could do no wrong, who could take a hideous suit like a bad pass and turn it into something great, or at least slightly less hideous, by dint of his own brilliance.
Things got a little out of hand in 2013 when he wore a full red ensemble, an outfit which, in hindsight, didn’t deserve to win. Messi was beaten by Cristiano Ronaldo two years in a row, and when he finally resumed his throne in 2015, he did so back in a classic black tuxedo. In 2019, Messi’s simple grey tie was a suitably sombre look to end his four-year winless drought, before the shimmering sparkles of 2021 which lit him up like a galaxy as he claimed No 7.
Lawrence Ostlere takes a look at Messi’s magic – and his wardrobe – as the Ballon d’Or awards approach:
Lionel Messi is no longer the best in the world but he deserves one last Ballon d’Or
Georgia Stanway disappointed to miss ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ Ballon d’Or ceremony
18:05 , Karl Matchett
Georgia Stanway says it is frustrating the Ballon d’Or ceremony taking place on the eve of a round of women’s international games was not “planned a little bit better”.
The England and Bayern Munich midfielder is among the nominees but will not be at Monday evening’s ceremony in Paris as she prepares for the Lionesses’ match against Belgium in Leuven, part of a busy schedule of Nations League fixtures on Tuesday.
Stanway, whose international team-mates Mary Earps, Millie Bright and Rachel Daly have also been shortlisted for the prestigious awards, told a press conference regarding her nomination: “It’s very cool, and nice to get the accolade as well as a lot of the team-mates in the Lionesses.
“There’s a few people I would also add to the list who have had very, very successful years. It’s a real achievement to be amongst those names.
“It’s unfortunate we couldn’t be there. That’s something we spoke as a player group (about), and we just kind of said it would be nice in the future if it wasn’t on a matchday minus one, so that we could enjoy the experience. It is (frustrating), because it’s potentially a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
Georgia Stanway disappointed to miss ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ Ballon d’Or ceremony
What time is the Ballon d’Or tonight?
16:31 , Karl Matchett
The Ballon d’Or awards ceremony takes place tonight when football’s most prestigious individual prize is presented to the most worthy recipient. The Ballon d’Or and Ballon d’Or Féminin are annual awards presented by French news magazine France Football and have been running since 1956.
Karim Benzema, who led Real Madrid to the Champions League, LaLiga, Uefa Super Cup and Spanish Super Cup titles, lifted the Ballon d’Or trophy last year while Alexia Putellas won the women’s award for a second consecutive year.
Lionel Messi is the most decorated Ballon d’Or winner with seven triumphs to his name and is the big favourite to be awarded the trophy again this year after his heroics in helping Argentina win the World Cup. Messi faces competition from Manchester City’s Erling Haaland and PSG’s Kylian Mbappe.
Aitana Bonmati is the favourite to succeed Putellas for the Ballon d’Or Feminin after leading Spain to the Women’s World Cup and Barcelona to the Women’s Champions League. Bonmati was named player of the tournament in both the World Cup and Champions League, while Chelsea and Australia star Sam Kerr could place highly.
Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the ceremony:
What time is the Ballon d’Or tonight?
