Ballon d’Or 2024 ceremony summary: Rodri, Bonmatí, Vinícius Júnior, winners
Ballon d'Or gala 2024: as it happened
Tonight's award winners
Men's Ballon d'Or: Rodri Hernández
Women’s Ballon d’Or: Aitana Bonmatí
Kopa Trophy: Lamine Yamal
Yashin Trophy: Emiliano Martínez
Men’s Club of the Year: Real Madrid
Women’s Club of the Year: Barcelona
Men’s Coach of the Year: Carlo Ancelotti
Women’s Coach of the Year: Emma Hayes
Gerd Müller Trophy: Harry Kane, Kylian Mbappé
Socrates Award: Jenni Hermoso
Can you believe that the English Premier League, cited by many to be the strongest in the world, has had to wait 16 years to have one of its players holding aloft the famous Ballon d'Or award?
Their 23-year wait for an Englishman to win it goes on...
Loved by fans of Star Wars, this latest gesture by Natalie Portman may have Real Madrid supporters turning to the dark side...
Take a look at our full report on Rodri Hernández's Ballon d'Or win, which ended a 64-year wait for a Spanish man to win the France Football prize.
The organizers of the Ballon d'Or awards have hit back at Real Madrid, after the Spanish club opted not to attend today's gala when they learned that Vinícius Júnior was not expected to win the men's world-player-of-the-year prize.
Rodri and Aitana Bonmatí have made history by completing an unprecedented Spanish double in the Ballon d'Or - but do they get any prize money for winning the world-player-of-the-year accolades?
Rodri's Ballon d'Or-winning numbers
Courtesy of our friends at SofaScore, here's a look at the 2023/24 stats that took Rodri Hernández to the Men's Ballon d'Or.
The midfielder helped Manchester City to a fourth straight Premier League title, and starred for Spain as La Roja won their fourth European title.
Men's Ballon d'Or: top three
It has been confirmed that Vinícius Júnior came second in the Men's Ballon d'Or voting, with Jude Bellingham third and Dani Carvajal fourth.
Rodri ends six-decade wait for Spanish men's winner
Rodri is the first Spanish winner of the Men's Ballon d'Or since Luis Suárez Miramontes all the way back in 1960.
Including Alfredo di Stéfano, who was born in Argentina but had Spanish nationality by the time he picked up the prize in 1957 and 1959, Rodri is only the third Spaniard in history to lift the Men's Ballon d'Or.
Spain secures historic double
Rodri's win means that Spain has scooped both the Men's and Women's Ballon d'Or this year.
Since the women's award was added to the roster in 2018, this is the first time that both prizes have been won by players from the same country.
"A very special day"
"Incredible night for me," Rodri says in English, before switching to Spanish.
"Today is a very special day, not only for me, but also for my family and my country," he says. He also has words of thanks for his girlfriend, revealing that it's their eighth anniversary today.
Rodri then appears to get most emotional when he's talking about his agent, of all people.
And he also praises his club and national teams, reserving special mention for Dani Carvajal, who he says would have been a worthy winner of the Ballon d'Or, and Lamine Yamal. You're going to win it someday, he tells the teenager.
Rodri wins the 2024 Men's Ballon d'Or!
Weah pauses for a moment of suspense, before announcing Rodri's name!
So it has turned out as rumored; let's be honest, the second Real Madrid didn't turn up, it was pretty clear what was going to happen. Madrid players have finished second, third and fourth.
And the winner is...
After quite a long time talking to Weah, we finally get to the announcement of the Men's Ballon d'Or winner.
A reminder that the four men still in the running for the award are:
Dani Carvajal
Rodri Hernández
Jude Bellingham
Vinícius Júnior
Time for the Men's Ballon d'Or...
George Weah, winner of the award in 1995, is called on to the stage to present the Men's Ballon d'Or.
Weah has particular words of praise for Harry Kane, who has a big smile on his face. "I love him," Weah purrs.
It's been a fairly decent night for Spanish soccer - and it could be about to get better.
Just the Men's Ballon d'Or winner to be announced now.
Who has won what?
So: nine awards down, one to go. Here are the winners so far:
Women’s Ballon d’Or: Aitana Bonmatí
Kopa Trophy: Lamine Yamal
Yashin Trophy: Emiliano Martínez
Men’s Club of the Year: Real Madrid
Women’s Club of the Year: Barcelona
Men’s Coach of the Year: Carlo Ancelotti
Women’s Coach of the Year: Emma Hayes
Gerd Müller Trophy: Harry Kane, Kylian Mbappé
Socrates Award: Jenni Hermoso
Bonmatí's Barça team-mates Caroline Graham Hansen and Salma Paralluelo are confirmed in second and third, respectively.
Bonmatí stresses that, while she has won the big prize today, either of her co-podium dwellers would also have been a more than worthy winner.
Yet another Women's Ballon d'Or for Barcelona
Bonmatí's second straight Ballon d'Or win comes after she scored 19 goals and provided 18 assists in 41 appearances in all competitions for Barça in 2023/24.
She netted the Catalans’ opening goal in their 2-0 Champions League final win over Lyon in May, and also helped Barcelona to the Liga F, the Copa de la Reina and the Spanish Super Cup.
A Barça player has now won each of the last four Women's Ballons d'Or.
Not even the Ballon d’Or winner knows the result until tonight’s gala, sources from the award’s organizers, France Football, said.
Can you imagine if Vinicius has actually won it?!
"A pleasure to be here again"
“I’m very grateful to be here and to pick up my second straight Women’s Ballon d’Or," Bonmatí says. "But as I always say, I can't achieve this on my own. I'm grateful to have so many great players around me.” She seemed to start out in Castilian Spanish, before transitioning to Catalan.
Bonmatí also thanks the staff at Barça, as well as president Joan Laporta, and
"Thank you very much, it's been a pleasure to be here again," she adds in English, before repeating her previous sentiments about needing the great team surrounding her. "Merci", she finishes up in French. So I make that four languages in total in that speech. Decent.
Aitana Bonmatí wins Women's Ballon d'Or!
Hollywood star Natalie Portman is now out on stage - and she is going to be presenting the Women’s Ballon d’Or.
“It’s the Oscar of football,” she quips.
Portman then reveals that Aitana Bonmatí is the winner of the 2024 Women’s Ballon d’Or! She retains her trophy.
Ancelotti wins Men's Coach of the Year
Carlo Ancelotti, who led Real Madrid to a LaLiga and Champions League double, is announced as the Men's Coach of the Year.
He's not there to pick up the award, of course.
And now, the Men's Coach of the Year
The nominees:
Xabi Alonso (Spain, Bayer Leverkusen)
Carlo Ancelotti (Italy, Real Madrid)
Luis de la Fuente (Spain, Spain)
Gian Piero Gasperini (Italy, Atalanta)
Pep Guardiola (Spain, Manchester City)
Lionel Scaloni (Argentina, Argentina)
Hayes wins Women's Coach of the Year
Emma Hayes, who in 2023/24 win the Women's Super League with Chelsea and the Olympics with the USWNT, is announced as the first winner of the Women's Coach of the Year prize.
Time for the Women's Coach of the Year
We now turn to the Coach of the Year awards, which we are told is to be named after the late Johan Cruyff.
Two men who played under Cruyff at Barcelona - his son, Jordi, and 1994 Men's Ballon d'Or winner Hristo Stoichkov - bring the trophy out on to the stage. "He believed in me, and I'll always be grateful for him for wanting me, this No. 8 who was rebellious but always fought tooth and nail," Stoichkov says.
First up, the Women's Coach of the Year award is to be handed out.
A reminder of the nominees:
Sonia Bompastor (France, Lyon / Chelsea)
Arthur Elias (Brazil, Corinthians / Brazil)
Jonatan Giráldez (Spain, Barcelona / Washington Spirit)
Emma Hayes (England, Chelsea / USA)
Filipa Patão (Portugal, Benfica)
Sarina Wiegman (Netherlands, England)
Confirmed: 5th, 6th and 7th in Men's Ballon d'Or
The next three in the Men's Ballon d'Or standings are announced:
5th: Erling Haaland
6th: Kylian Mbappé
7th: Lautaro Martínez
Hermoso wins Sócrates Award
The Sócrates Award is given to Spanish forward Jenni Hermoso. This, Didier Drogba announces, is "in recognition of her exemplary role in the development of equality and the empowerment of women’s football, and her social commitment against sexual assault”.
Hermoso was the victim of a non-consensual kiss on the lips from the former president of the Spanish Football Federation, Luis Rubiales, as Spain celebrated their 2023 Women's World Cup win.
Rodri is fully expected to be crowned Ballon d'Or winner very soon. We take a look at just how influential the Manchester City midfielder is.
Confirmed: 7th, 6th and 5th in Women's Ballon d'Or
The next three in the Women's Ballon d'Or standings are announced. They include two USWNT stars:
7th: Marie-Antoinette
6th: Mallory Swanson
5th: Lindsey Horan
I'm not the best keeper in the world - Martínez
Now in English, Martínez adds: “It’s huge for me [winning two straight Yashin Trophies]. For me it’s an honor to win it back to back.”
"You're the best keeper in the world right now, aren't you?" Drogba asks him. "To be fair, I don't think so," Martínez insists.
Emiliano Martínez retains his Yashin Trophy
Lautaro Martínez is out on stage to present the award... to his international team-mate, Emiliano Martínez! That's Martínez's second straight Yashin Trophy.
"It's an honor to be here again," Martínez says. "I've come from small origins and I always remember that."
We then get a Western-style video tribute to the keeper's recent exploits, in which he is dubbed "The Impassable", I think it was.
Yashin Trophy to be presented
The next award on the program is the Yashin Trophy, given to 2023/24's best men's goalkeeper.
The nominees:
Diogo Costa (Portugal, Porto)
Gianluigi Donnarumma (Italy, Paris Saint-Germain)
Gregor Kobel (Switzerland, Borussia Dortmund)
Andriy Lunin (Ukraine, Real Madrid)
Mike Maignan (France, Milan)
Giorgi Mamardashvili (Georgia, Valencia)
Emiliano Martínez (Argentina, Aston Villa)
Unai Simón (Spain, Athletic Club)
Yann Sommer (Switzerland, Inter)
Ronwen Williams (South Africa, Mamelodi Sundowns)
We're back in Paris, where there's a quick overview of the Ballon d'Or trophy.
That's a good excuse for me to point you in the direction of our lowdown on the trophy.
Awards on hold for now
We're in a short break in the Ballon d'Or ceremony, allowing Movistar Plus's panel to engage in an extended bout of purring over Lamine Yamal.
"I've seen very few players with his ability at his age," says pundit Álvaro Benito, a former Real Madrid player.
Lamine poses with the Kopa Trophy
Lamine Yamal, who then went on to be confirmed as the eighth-placed finisher in the Men's Ballon d'Or standings, gets acquainted with his Kopa Trophy.
Speaking to Movistar Plus in Spanish TV, he explains what went wrong with his earpiece on stage: "It was a bit strange, because they gave me the translation in French."
Drogba has a quick chat with Kane, but he has chosen some seriously boring questions. What's one thing you would improve about your game? What advice would you give aspiring strikers? Yawn.
Heribert then engages Kane in some banter about the state of his German, which it seems isn't the best. Difficult language, to be fair to him. I'm a German graduate, and still struggle to hold a conversation of any significant depth.
Barcelona’s young winger claims the Kopa Trophy for the best player in the world under 21, following in the footsteps of Bellingham, who won it in 2023.
Hmmm, I said we were getting a vid of some of Kane and Mbappé's goals, but it's gone on for that long that it might just be all 104.
10th, 9th and 8th announced in race for Women's Ballon d'Or
We now know the next three finishers in the Women's Ballon d'Or standings:
10th: Alexia Putellas
9th: Trinity Rodman
8th: Mariona Caldentey
Kane and Mbappé share Gerd Müller Trophy
Rummenigge remains on the stage to announce the winners of the Gerd Müller Trophy, given to the top scorers for club and country in 2023/24. They are Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappé, who both racked up 52 goals last season.
Mbappé isn't at the ceremony, but Kane is. He steps on to the stage to pick up his trophy, before we see a video of some of Kane and Mbappé's goals in 2023/24.
Tribute to Beckenbauer
The presentation of the awards is now paused, as the gala takes the chance to pay tribute to the great Franz Beckenbauer, who died at the age of 78 in January.
Another Bayern and Germany legend, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, offers a few words about the 'Kaiser', who is one of just three men to win the World Cup as a player and as a coach. "He was something special," Rummenigge says, adding: "He was a very good example to everybody."
"He was a special person," agrees Beckenbauer's wife Heidi.
Real win Men's Club of the Year
Er, blink and you'd miss it, but Real Madrid have been confirmed as the Men's Club of the Year. No-one from the club is in Paris to pick up the trophy, so the prize announcement lasted precisely 6.743 seconds.
Men's Ballon d'Or: 10th, 9th and 8th place confirmed
The next three in the Men's Ballon d'Or standings are now announced:
10. Harry Kane
9. Toni Kroos
8. Lamine Yamal
Barcelona win Women's Club of the Year!
Barça president Joan Laporta, and the Blaugrana's two-time Women's Ballon d'Or winner, Alexia Putellas, come on to the stage to accept the prize.
"To have this award is special," Laporta says.
Putellas then invites her Barça team-mates up on to the stage to join her and Laporta. "This is a prize for the whole team," she explains.
Now for award No. 2 of the night!
Finally, Lamine is allowed to leave the stage and we move on to the Women's Club of the Year award.
The nominees are:
Barcelona (Spain)
Chelsea (England)
Lyon (France)
NJ/NY Gotham (USA)
Paris Saint-Germain (France)
Tech issues for awkward-looking Lamine
Drogba and Heribert are keeping Lamine up on the stage for an inordinately lengthy amount of time; he doesn't look like he's enjoying it, and to make things worse he says he isn't getting the translation of their questions in his earpiece.
They ask Lamine if he accepts the challenge of becoming the youngest ever winner of the Men's Ballon d'Or - beating Ronaldo Nazário's record - to which he replies: "I can't hear anything, sorry."
In the end, Gullit has to step in and do the talking for the teenager. Come on, Didier and Sandy; accept it isn't happening and move on to the next award.
Lamine Yamal sets Kopa Trophy age record
Lamine Yamal is the first player under the age of 18 to win the Kopa Trophy.
He isn't 18 until next July.
Lamine Yamal wins the Kopa Trophy!
Lamine Yamal is announced as the 2024 winner of the Kopa Trophy, succeeding Jude Bellingham.
"I feel very proud to be awarded this trophy," Lamine says. "I want to thank my mother, my father and my grandmother, who have always supported me [...]. This is a prize I dedicate to everyone who has supported me."
Gullit to present Kopa Trophy
The Kopa Trophy will be presented by Ruud Gullit, who won the Men's Ballon d'Or in 1987.
Before Gullit hands over the trophy, we get a touching little look back at the highlights of his career, culminating in his Euro '88 win with the Netherlands.
They have a few words with Gullilt about his experience of winning the Ballon d'Or, but as I'm watching this on a feed dubbed into Spanish, I can't make out what he says. I'm guessing he said he was pleased to win it, though.
Time for the first award!
The first trophy to be handed out tonight will be the Kopa Trophy, given to the world's best men's under-21 player.
A reminder of the nominees:
Pau Cubarsí (Spain, Barcelona)
Alejandro Garnacho (Argentina, Manchester United)
Arda Güler (Türkiye, Real Madrid)
Karim Konaté (Ivory Coast, Salzburg)
Kobbie Mainoo (England, Manchester United)
João Neves (Portugal, Benfica / Paris Saint-Germain)
Savinho (Brazil, Girona / Manchester City)
Mathys Tel (France, Bayern München)
Lamine Yamal (Spain, Barcelona)
Warren Zaïre-Emery (France, Paris Saint-Germain)
Every 2024 nominee (or, should I say, every 2024 nominee that has turned up) is now paraded before the audience.
We are then treated to a video of some of the nominees' finest moments from the 2023/24 campaign.
Ballon d'Or gala underway!
So, it's time for the ceremony to begin. Out come Didier Drogba and Sandy Heribert.
They give us a cheery welcome, as the camera focuses in on some very famous faces in the audience: they include the Hollywood actor Natalie Portman. We also get a shot of Clarence Seedorf, Oliver Bierhoff, George Weah, and more.
MOHAMMED BADRA / EFE
Rodri ready
Rodrigo Hernández and his partner, Laura Iglesias, arrive at the Theatre du Chatelet.
Mijatovic "surprised" by Real Madrid absence
“I found out earlier this evening that Real Madrid aren’t coming [to the Ballon d’Or gala]… Yeah, I’m a little bit surprised by that.
Gavi's reaction to expected Rodri Ballon d'Or win
A little earlier today, this was Barça star Gavi's reaction to the news that Rodri appears set to win the Men's Ballon d'Or:
How are the Ballon d'Or winners chosen?
A reminder that the Men’s and Women’s Ballons d’Or are chosen by a jury of major journalists from around the world.
For the men’s award, a total of 100 journalists - one each from the top 100 nations in FIFA’s world rankings - have voted for the winner from a 30-player shortlist. They have also voted for the recipients of the Yashin Trophy, and the Men’s Coach of the Year and Men’s Club of the Year awards.
The women’s Ballon d’Or, meanwhile, has been chosen from a 30-player shortlist by a group of 50 journalists, one each from the highest 50 nations in the FIFA women’s world ranking. The same jury has also decided the winners of the Women’s Coach of the Year and the Women’s Club of the Year.
The recipient of the Kopa Trophy has been voted for by all living former Men’s Ballon d’Or winners.
Women's Coach of the Year: the nonimees
Barcelona (Spain)
Chelsea (England)
Lyon (France)
NJ/NY Gotham (USA)
Paris Saint-Germain (France)
Men's Club of the Year: the nominees
Borussia Dortmund (Germany)
Girona (Spain)
Bayer Leverkusen (Germany)
Manchester City (England)
Real Madrid (Spain)
Rodri: "I don't have much information"
On his arrival at the Theatre du Chatelet, Rodri has been speaking to Spanish TV channel Movistar Plus.
He has sworn blind that he has no idea what the result of the Men's Ballon d'Or voting is going to be. “Being here is a prize in itself for me," he said. "We’ll see what happens - I don’t have much information.”
Women's Coach of the Year: the nominees
Sonia Bompastor (France, Lyon / Chelsea)
Arthur Elias (Brazil, Corinthians / Brazil)
Jonatan Giráldez (Spain, Barcelona / Washington Spirit)
Emma Hayes (England, Chelsea / USA)
Filipa Patão (Portugal, Benfica)
Sarina Wiegman (Netherlands, England)
Men's Coach of the Year: the nominees
Xabi Alonso (Spain, Bayer Leverkusen)
Carlo Ancelotti (Italy, Real Madrid)
Luis de la Fuente (Spain, Spain)
Gian Piero Gasperini (Italy, Atalanta)
Pep Guardiola (Spain, Manchester City)
Lionel Scaloni (Argentina, Argentina)
Rodri is here!
Rodrigo Hernández, a player now expected to be named the winner of the Men's Ballon d'Or, arrives at the gala on crutches.
He's still recovering from a serious knee injury that has ruled him out for the rest of the season.
Kopa Trophy: the nominees
Pau Cubarsí (Spain, Barcelona)
Alejandro Garnacho (Argentina, Manchester United)
Arda Güler (Türkiye, Real Madrid)
Karim Konaté (Ivory Coast, Salzburg)
Kobbie Mainoo (England, Manchester United)
João Neves (Portugal, Benfica / PSG)
Savinho (Brazil, Girona / Manchester City)
Mathys Tel (France, Bayern München)
Lamine Yamal (Spain, Barcelona)
Warren Zaïre-Emery (France, Paris Saint-Germain)
Yashin Trophy: the nominees
Diogo Costa (Portugal, Porto)
Gianluigi Donnarumma (Italy, PSG)
Gregor Kobel (Switzerland, Borussia Dortmund)
Andriy Lunin (Ukraine, Real Madrid)
Mike Maignan (France, Milan)
Giorgi Mamardashvili (Georgia, Valencia)
Emiliano Martínez (Argentina, Aston Villa)
Unai Simón (Spain, Athletic Club)
Yann Sommer (Switzerland, Inter)
Ronwen Williams (South Africa, Mamelodi Sundowns)
What awards are being presented tonight?
With just over half an hour to go until the ceremony gets underway, here's a quick reminder of the awards that are to be handed out tonight in Paris:
- Men’s Ballon d’Or and Women’s Ballon d’Or
- Kopa Trophy (best men’s under-21 player)
- Yashin Trophy (best men’s goalkeeper)
- Men’s Club of the Year and Women’s Club of the Year
- Men’s Coach of the Year and Women’s Coach of the Year
- Gerd Müller Trophy (men’s top scorer last season)
- Sócrates Award (awarded for humanitarian work)
Who will host the Ballon d'Or gala?
For the fifth time (I make it), the Ballon d'Or ceremony will be anchored by the duo of French-British journalist Sandy Heribert and Ivorian soccer legend Didier Drogba.
Drogba, who was a Champions League winner and four-time English champion with Chelsea, finished fourth in the voting for the 2007 Men's Ballon d'Or.
Here are Heribert and Drogba as they arrived at the Theatre du Chatelet a short while ago:
"Two big events Real haven’t turned up!"
ESPN pundit Craig Burley offers his take on Real Madrid's Ballon d'Or no-show.
Women's Ballon d'Or: standings so far
1. ?
2. ?
3. ?
4. ?
5. ?
6. ?
7. ?
8. ?
9. ?
10. ?
11. Patricia Guijarro
12. Barbra Banda
13. Lauren James
14. Ada Hegerberg
15. Khadija Shaw
16. Tabitha Chawinga
17. Alyssa Naeher
18. Gabi Portilho
19. Giulia Gwinn
20. Lucy Bronze
21. Mayra Ramírez
22. Glódís Viggósdóttir
23. Tarciane
24. Lea Schüller
25. Sjoeke Nüsken
26. Yui Hasegawa
27. Manuela Giugliano
28. Lauren Hemp
29. Ewa Pajor
30. Grace Geyoro
Barça check in at Theatre du Chatelet
Barcelona's delegation, which includes five players in the top 30 in the Women's Ballon d'Or, is here.
Men's Ballon d'Or: standings so far
1. ?
2. ?
3. ?
4. ?
5. ?
6. ?
7. ?
8. ?
9. ?
10. ?
11. Phil Foden
12. Florian Wirtz
13. Dani Olmo
14. Ademola Lookman
15. Nico Williams
16. Granit Xhaka
17. Fede Valverde
18. Emiliano Martínez
19. Martin Odegaard
20. Hakan Calhanoglu
21. Bukayo Saka
22. Antonio Rüdiger
23. Rúben Dias
24. William Saliba
25. Cole Palmer
26. Declan Rice
27. Vitinha
28. Álex Grimaldo
29. Artem Dovbyk
= Mats Hummels
Haaland not at Ballon d'Or gala
Manchester City's Erling Haaland is another player who is certain to finish in the men's top 10 - but he won't be in Paris tonight. He's in Sweden, to watch the team's league match against IFK Gothenburg.
Kane at the Theatre du Chatelet
Harry Kane is suited and booted, and about to be named somewhere in the men's top 10...
Can Spain do historic Ballon d'Or double?
A Rodri win could also be one half of an unprecedented Spanish double.
In the Women's Ballon d'Or, Barcelona and Spain's Aitana Bonmatí is being heavily tipped to win the trophy for a second straight season.
So far since the Women's Ballon d'Or was introduced in 2018, no country has managed to claim both the men's and women's awards in the same year.
Who was the last Spanish player to win Men's Ballon d'Or?
If Rodrigo Hernández does indeed pick up the Men's Ballon d'Or tonight, he will bring an end to a 64-year wait for a Spanish winner.
The last - and so far only - Spanish-born man to win the Ballon d'Or was Luis Suárez Miramontes, who scooped the prize in 1960.
It's not as if Spain hasn't had some pretty worthy candidates since then: the names Raúl González Blanco, Andrés Iniesta and Xavi Hernández spring to mind...
Whoever wins the two Ballons d'Or tonight, you may be wondering: do they get any prize money?
Weah is here!
George Weah, who in 1995 became the first non-European winner of the Men's Ballon d'Or, has arrived for tonight's gala.
1995 was the first year that the Ballon d'Or was opened up to non-European players at European clubs. In 2007, its eligibility pool was then widened further, to include all players at any club worldwide.
Individual awards "have no place" - Kroos
Another quote courtesy of Fabrizio Romano. He cites Toni Kroos as saying that Rodri "will win the Ballon d'Or".
The German, who is poised to finish in the top 10 himself, added, per Romano: "I’ve never seen the importance of these individual awards in football, they have no place”.
Sevilla take Real mickey out of absent Los Blancos
In the wake of Real Madrid's decision to give the ceremony a wide berth, the droll social-media posts are now dropping:
Real absence "not good for football"
Per Fabrizio Romano, Spain coach Luis de la Fuente has offered his thoughts on Real Madrid's gala no-show:
Kane correction
My apologies for the post below, which I have deleted but may still be visible to you. Harry Kane has not been confirmed in 10th place - I was fooled by the appearance of an old Ballon d'Or tweet from the 2018 ceremony, in which he did indeed round out the top 10. That the post described him as "Tottenham striker Harry Kane" should have been a clue to me that this was not current.
Hummels and Dovbyk check in at Theatre du Chatelet
Mats Hummels and Artem Dovbyk, who finished in joint 29th in the running for the Men's Ballon d'Or, walk the red carpet in Paris.
In the same vein, my colleagues at AStv have published this video on the process for making the Ballon d'Or trophy.
As we wait for the gala to get going in Paris - in just over 90 minutes' time - here's some reading for you. My colleague Paul Reidy has the lowdown on what the iconic Ballon d'Or trophy is made of and how much it is worth.
Foden finishes 11th in Men's Ballon d'Or voting
Manchester City and England's Phil Foden comes 11th - or "11st", as our friends at France Football put it - in the race for the Men's Ballon d'Or.
We are now all set for the top 10...
Soccer stars walking the red carpet in Paris
The stars are now arriving on the red carpet at the Theatre du Chatelet. Here is Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente, who is in the running for the new Men's Coach of the Year award.
Wirtz in 12th
Germany and Bayer Leverkusen's Florian Wirtz is officially the 12th-best player in the world in 2023/24.
Olmo voted into 13th place
Another member of Spain's Euro 2024-winning squad: Dani Olmo places 13th in the Men's Ballon d'Or voting.
Williams 15th in Ballon d'Or race
My apologies, I missed one out there. Athletic Club and Spain's Nico Williams has finished 15th in the running for the Men's Ballon d'Or. That's after he starred for Spain in their run to trophy success at Euro 2024.
Lookman 14th in Men's Ballon d'Or vote
Atalanta's Ademola Lookman, who scored a fabulous hat-trick in the Italians' Europa League final win in May, has been named the 14th-best men's player in 2023/24.
There are just under two hours to go until the Ballon d'Or gala kicks off in Paris.
If you're wondering where you can tune in to the ceremony, let me point you in the direction of our guide on how to watch.
Ballon d'Or organizers baffled by Madrid snub
Ballon d’Or organizers have reportedly described Real Madrid’s decision to snub tonight’s gala as “incomprehensible”. the The Spanish news agency EFE says that's the verdict from awards sources they have spoken to.
A reminder that Madrid’s delegation, which was set to comprise around 50 people, has opted to stay in Spain after it emerged that the club’s forward Vinícius Júnior is poised to miss out on the Men’s Ballon d’Or.
Who has won the Women's Ballon d'Or so far?
When it comes to its winners, the Women’s Ballon d’Or has certainly offered greater variety than the men's award since its inception in 2018. Indeed, the women's prize has only been retained once (although that may well be about to change), with four different players picking up the trophy in five years.
Barcelona and Spain star Alexia Putellas is the only player to have won the prize twice, in 2021 and 2022.
Before then, it was collected by Norway's Ada Hegerberg in 2018 and the USWNT's Megan Rapinoe in 2019. After Putellas' back-to-back victories, her club-mate Aitana Bonmatí was the most recent victor, when she was named world player of the year in 2023.
Xhaka 16th in Men's Ballon d'Or vote
Granit Xhaka, who played a central role in Bayer Leverkusen's historic season last year, has been voted as the campaign's 16th-best men's player. The former Arsenal midfielder also helped Switzerland to the quarter-finals of Euro 2024.
"Years of repetitiveness" at an end?
With Messi and Ronaldo's era of Ballon d'Or domination apparently now over, might we be about to see the men's award change hands in the way it did in the nineties and early-to-mid noughties?
Writing in The Guardian, the journalist Alex Reid suggests that we are indeed.
“It feels like a refresh," Reid says, looking ahead to a 2024 ceremony in which Vinícius Júnior and Rodri Hernández are the favorites. "And with Mbappé and Haaland in their primes – and young pretenders Lamine Yamal, Jude Bellingham, Jamal Musiala et al catching up fast – the Ballon d’Or does not look set for years of repetitiveness.”
Here's hoping.
Valverde voted 17th
Real Madrid and Uruguay's Fede Valverde has been announced in 17th in the Men's Ballon d'Or standings.
Villa keeper Martínez voted 18th
Aston Villa and Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez, the reigning Yashin Trophy holder, finishes 18th in the running for the Men's Ballon d'Or.
Odegaard finishes 19th in Men's Ballon d'Or
The announcements are coming thick and fast again. Arsenal and Norway's Martin Odegaard places 19th in the Men's Ballon d'Or.
Calhanoglu takes 20th in Men's Ballon d'Or
Inter Milan and Turkey's Hasan Calhanoglu has been voted as the 20th-best men's player in the 2023/24 season.
Only four men have won Ballon d'Or since Kaká
Thanks chiefly to Messi and Ronaldo - who accounted for 13 of the last 15 Men’s Ballons d’Or - this year’s recipient will be only the fifth different winner of the award in the 17 years since Kaká won in 2007.
In the 17 years before then, there were 16 different winners. And that list is a simply glorious who’s who of nineties and noughties icons: Lothar Matthäus, Jean-Pierre Papin, Marco Van Basten, Roberto Baggio, Hristo Stoichkov, George Weah, Matthias Sammer, Ronaldo Nazário, Zinedine Zidane, Rivaldo, Luis Figo, Michael Owen, Pavel Nedved, Andriy Shevchenko, Ronaldinho and Fabio Cannavaro.
Men's Ballon d'Or set for first-time winner
Regardless of who scoops the Men’s Ballon d’Or award in a few hours’ time, we are guaranteed a new winner: the holder, Lionel Messi, has not been nominated, and no other former recipients are among the finalists.
That means the absentees also include Cristiano Ronaldo - making this the first time since 2003 that the Men’s Ballon d’Or shortlist hasn't included Ronaldo or Messi. With five and eight Men's Ballons d'Or, respectively, they are the award’s two most decorated individuals.
Who did Spain's Men's Ballon d'Or juror vote for?
Former AS editor-in-chief Alfredo Relaño, who casts Spain’s ballot in the Men’s Ballon d’Or, has lifted the lid on how he voted.
Speaking on the Spanish TV show 'El Chiringuito de Jugones', AS’s honorary president revealed eight of his top-10 picks - the only two he didn’t provide were his recipients of seven and three points.
How Alfredo Relaño voted:
15 points: Vinícius Júnior
12 points: Rodrigo Hernández
10 points: Jude Bellingham
8 points: Toni Kroos
6 points: Dani Carvajal
4 points: Kylian Mbappé
2 points: Phil Foden
1 point: Cole Palmer
L’Équipe has released the results of the public poll in which readers voted decisively for Vinicius as their favorite
Confirmed: 15th-11th in the Women's Ballon d'Or
And right away, the next five are announced in the Women's Ballon d'Or!
This quintet includes Ada Hegerberg, who was the award's inaugural winner in 2018.
15th: Khadija Shaw
14th: Ada Hegerberg
13th: Lauren James
12th: Barbra Banda
11th: Patri Guijarro
20th-16th announced in Women's Ballon d'Or
The next five finishers in the Women's Ballon d'Or have been confirmed. They include USWNT goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher, who has come 17th in the vote.
20th: Lucy Bronze
19th: Giulia Gwinn
18th: Gabi Portilho
17th: Alyssa Naeher
16th: Tabitha Chawinga
Saka finishes 21st in Men's Ballon d'Or rankings
Arsenal and England's Bukayo Saka is announced in 21st place in the race for the Men's Ballon d'Or.
Roncero: "I'm gobsmacked"
AS journalist Tomás Roncero, aka Real Madrid’s No. 1 fan, is fuming at the news that Rodrigo Hernández is set to win the Men’s Ballon d’Or ahead of Los Blancos’ Brazil forward Vinícius Júnior.
“I’m gobsmacked,” Roncero wrote on the social-media platform X a short while ago. “Didn’t Rodri deserve it more last year, having won everything with City and Spain…? Ah, of course, Messi had to be gifted the award again…”
Rüdiger 22nd in Men's Ballon d'Or vote
Real Madrid and Germany defender Antonio Rüdiger has placed 22nd in the voting for the Men's Ballon d'Or.
Paris gala approaching!
A reminder that the Ballon d'Or gala kicks off at 8:45pm local time; in the US, that translates into a 3:45pm ET/12:45pm PT start.
Before the ceremony itself gets underway at Paris' Theatre du Chatelet, the stars (minus Real Madrid's delegation) are due to walk the red carpet at 6:50pm local time (1:50pm ET/10:50am PT).
Ahead of tonight's Ballon d'Or ceremony in Paris, we take a look at the process for choosing the award winners.
More stars from England!
Manchester City defender RúbenDias is in 23rd while William Saliba ends up in 24th. Both players are standout names in the Premier League, and I'd even go so far as to say they're the best centre-backs in the division.
Real Madrid‘s Ballon d’Or delegation is staying on Spanish soil today, after cancelling its travel plans at the last minute.
It's caused shockwaves across Spain, with a large Madrid delegation, comprising around 50 people, all due to fly to Paris for today’s ceremony, which is to be held at the Theatre du Chatelet.
Within the club, there is a mood of shock and anger that, seemingly, Lionel Messi’s successor as the prize’s recipient won’t be a Madrid player.
AS has done the deep dive on all the details.
Vitinha ranked at 27th in Ballon d'Or
Vítor Machado Ferreira, to give him his full name, is ranked 27th. The 24 year old PSG midfielder is from Santo Tirso, near Porto, in Portugal.
First Premier League players revealed
Declan Rice has been selected at 26 while his London rival Cole Palmer is 25th.
Messi set to give up his Ballon d'Or crown:
For me, Leo always has to be there. Maybe because he came here he hasn’t been given any importance, but he continues to make a difference.
For me, he is the best in the world without a doubt and in his country, with Argentina he continues to make a difference. For me, he is the best, he has always shown it, but it is respectable that they give it to someone else.
Every time I am asked about Messi I say that he deserves all the awards that can be given to him, I think he is the best player in the world by far and for me he is the best.
First Ballon d'Or rankings
Here we go! Artem Dovbyk and Mats Hummels are in joint 29th place!
Salma lands in Paris!
The young Barcelona forward has landed in the French capital ahead of the ceremony tonight. She came third in the rankings last year and had another stellar season for her club and country, meaning that she'll likely be in an around the final ranking when it's revealed.
Women's coach of the year nominees:
· Sonia Bompastor (France, Lyon / Chelsea)
· Arthur Elias (Brazil, Corinthians / Brazil)
· Jonatan Giráldez (Spain, Barcelona / Washington Spirit)
· Emma Hayes (England, Chelsea / USA)
· Filipa Patão (Portugal, Benfica)
· Sarina Wiegman (Netherlands, England)
Men’s Coach of the Year nominees:
· Xabi Alonso (Spain, Bayer Leverkusen)
· Carlo Ancelotti (Italy, Real Madrid)
· Luis de la Fuente (Spain, Spain)
· Gian Piero Gasperini (Italy, Atalanta)
· Pep Guardiola (Spain, Manchester City)
· Lionel Scaloni (Argentina, Argentina)
As you might imagine, the reaction to Vinicius Jr reportedly missing out on the Ballon d'Or has been rocking the internet since the news broke.
The Brazilian was the favourite to win, until Real Madrid received other news, and now it seems that the club's representatives, including a number of players, will not travel to the French capital for tonight's presentation.
When will things get going?
The Ballon d'Or event will officially begin at 12:50 p.m. ET (5:50 p.m. local time), with L'Équipeunveiling the rankings starting from the last position.
The red carpet will kick off at 2 p.m., followed by the main ceremony at 3:45 p.m.
Sofascore's thoughts on the matter
The white-coated boffins over at Sofascore HQ have Rodri top of the pops when it comes to ratings across the past season. The Spaniard, as mentioned, is now the heavy favourite to take home the trophy.
Kylian Mbappé is second, with his Real Madrid teammate Jude Bellingham in third place. Making up the top 5 is Toni Kroos and Manchester City's Phil Foden.
Curiously, Vini Jr is not in Sofascore's top 10 at all, with just the two aforementioned LaLiga players in the ranking.
Here's how the standings looked last year:
Aitana was number 1 after the World Cup win with Sam Kerr and Salma Paralluelo making up the rest of the podium.
CGH wasn't even part of the top 10, which many thought was a shocking outcome last time out. I don't think she'll be too disappointed with her position this year after another solid season at the summit of women's football.
Yashin Trophy nominees:
Here's the full list of the goalkeepers up for the Yashin Trophy award:
· Diogo Costa (Portugal, Porto)
· Gianluigi Donnarumma (Italy, Paris Saint-Germain)
· Gregor Kobel (Switzerland, Borussia Dortmund)
· Andriy Lunin (Ukraine, Real Madrid)
· Mike Maignan (France, Milan)
· Giorgi Mamardashvili (Georgia, Valencia)
· Emiliano Martínez (Argentina, Aston Villa)
· Unai Simón (Spain, Athletic Club)
· Yann Sommer (Switzerland, Inter)
· Ronwen Williams (South Africa, Mamelodi Sundowns)
JESUS ALVAREZ ORIHUELA / DIARIO AS
Who's the Golden Boy?
The Golden Boy award, given out to the best player in world football under the age of 21 has seen some stellar names that have gone on to be world stars.
And if you look at this year's list, it seems no different:
GOLDEN BOY FINAL LIST:
Lamine Yamal (Barcelona)
João Neves (Paris Saint-Germain)
Warren Zaïre-Emery (Paris Saint-Germain)
Alejandro Garnacho (Manchester United)
Pau Cubarsí (Barcelona)
Savinho (Manchester City)
Rico Lewis (Manchester City)
Aleksandar Pavlović (Bayern Munich)
Kobbie Mainoo (Manchester United)
Jorrel Hato (Ajax)
Leny Yoro (Manchester United)
Jamie Bynoe-Gittens (Borussia Dortmund)
Kenan Yıldız (Juventus)
Cristhian Mosquera (Valencia)
Adam Wharton (Crystal Palace)
Arda Güler (Real Madrid)
Mathys Tel (Bayern Munich)
Désiré Doué (Paris Saint-Germain)
Oscar Gloukh (RB Salzburg)
Samuel Omorodion (Porto)
Ballon d'Or Schedule
The Ballon d'Or will officially kick off at 12:50 p.m. ET (5:50 p.m local time). Starting from the last position, L'Équipe will reveal the rankings one by one. At 2 p.m., the red carpet will begin, with the ceremony following at 3:45 p.m.
You can follow it all here on AS USA.
Athletic celebrates Nico’s nomination
"From Lezama to the top of the world. Well deserved, Nico!" reads a congratulatory message from the Basque club, celebrating their winger’s nomination.
Ballon d'Or winner based on the European season, not the calendar year
One of the most significant changes from previous years of the Ballon d'Or concerns the timeframe used to select the winner. Until 2021, the award reflected a player's performance across the calendar year. Since 2022, however, following extensive requests for reform, the award has shifted to honor the best player of what is roughly the European soccer season. So these Ballons d'Or cover the period from August 1, 2023, to July 31, 2024.
While that does make a lot of sense, particularly for the men's Ballon d'Or, where the winner is always at a European club, it's a somewhat Eurocentric approach. Take the U.S. Women's Soccer League, which runs from March to November, or the MLS, which runs from February to December. That means they are both sliced up by the dates of the Ballon d'Or, making it harder to really compare like for like. Though, let's be honest, while it's meant to be an in-depth deep dive into each individual's performances, the winners almost always have to land one of the big trophies to get the Ballon d'Or.
Rodri the new favourite
After the shocking news that Vinicius Jr may not actually take home the trophy, the Manchester City midfielder is now the favourite to win the prestigious individual award.
Rodri, as mentioned below, has been a fundamental part of Guardiola'ssuccess in England and would be a worthy winner in the eyes of many.
Barcelona's stars head to Paris
Aitana Bonmatí, the current Ballon d'Or holder, along with Salma Paralluelo and Mariona Caldentey, are already en route to Paris for the gala. They represent Barcelona’s women’s team, joined by two-time Ballon d'Or winner Alexia Putellas and Patri Guijarro.
Real Madrid flight cancelled
Real Madrid had a plane planned to leave Madrid's Barajas airport at 15:00 and our sources say it has not taken off. In total there were 50 people planned to be on on the plane, including the nominees, families and employees of the club.
Real Madrid not heading to Paris
Sounding more and more like Vinicius and Madrid will not be going - Florentino Pérez, Carlo Ancelotti, Jude Bellingham, nor Vinicius himself will attend the gala according to Fabrizio Romano.
Interesting reports coming out...
Reports from France say that Vinicius Jr's entourage think he will NOT win the Ballon d'Or, while others add that the player himself has not travelled to Paris.
Your predictions ahead of the gala
The Ballon d'Or's X account has posted a template for fans to select their predicted winners for each award.
Who do you think will take home the various Ballons d'Or? (Yes, apparently the plural of Ballon d'Or is Ballons d'Or, a bit like the plural of attorney general being attorneys general, because the dOr and the general are just describing the ballons or the generals, which are the bit in actual plural).
Have you heard of the Super Ballon d'Or?
Yes, this is a real award that has only been given out once in the history of football.
It was awarded to former Real Madrid player Alfredo Di Stéfano in 1989 for being the best player across three decades.
Since Di Stéfano was awarded the super trophy, no other player has been given the honour, making it arguably the most exclusive prize ever to be given out in football history.
He also won 2 of the 'normal' Ballon d'Ors, in 1957 and 1959.
Di Stéfano beat both Johan Cruyff (2nd) and Michel Platini (3rd) in the vote.
Vinicius vs Rodri
Rodri is perhaps Vini Jr's biggest challenger to the Ballon d'Or trophy today.
The Spanish midfielder has been the key figure in Manchester City's dominance in England and their run to becoming European champions two seasons ago.
Currently injured, Rodri's win record with City is astonishing, and his presence is always missed when he is not in Pep Guardiola's XI. Last season, he won the Euros with Spain, the Premier League, the Club World Cup and the UEFA Super Cup.
As for Vini Jr, he managed to add a LaLiga trophy and a Champions League to his trophy cabinet, scoring 26 goals on the way, bagging a goal every 146 minutes on the pitch.
Vini could give Real Madrid Ballon d'Or Clásico advantage
Vinicius Jr. is the favorite to win the Ballon d'Or tonight in Paris, and if he does, the Brazilian star will swing the historic rivalry with Barcelona in Real Madrid’s favor when it comes to this prestigious award.
Barcelona currently leads the tally with Messi's six wins in a Barcelona shirt, followed by Cruyff (2), Luis Suárez, Stoichkov, Rivaldo, and Ronaldinho. That makes 12 total wins for Barcelona, with 12 second-place finishes giving them the edge.
Real Madrid, on the other hand, has tallied wins from Ronaldo (4), Di Stéfano (2), and one each from Kopa, Figo, Ronaldo, Cannavaro, Modric, and Karim Benzema.
Today's ceremony will be the 68th edition of the awards and as well as a shiny trophy, there's also a lot of money involved with the Ball d'Or ceremony, but it doesn't come from where you might think.
Paul has dived into just how much money the winner earns, and where exactly they get it from.
Messi vs Ronaldo: a battle for the ages
We've started this list since 2008 which was when Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi began their domination of the world stage, bringing with it a battle that took the meaning of the 'best player in the world' to new heights.
If you're like me, then you expect the Ballon d'Or winner to have scored 50 goals and got 50 assists all while saving the world in a cape and with their pants on the outside of their trousers.
However, football these days doesn't have a star (yet) that has put up the numbers that these two freaks of nature did for over a decade. It might happen in the future, but right now we're not close.
Anyway, here's how that sensational battle played out:
2008 - Cristiano Ronaldo - Manchester United (1)
2009 - Lionel Messi - Barcelona (1)
2010 - Lionel Messi - Barcelona (2)
2011 - Lionel Messi - Barcelona (3)
2012 - Lionel Messi - Barcelona (4)
2013 - Cristiano Ronaldo - Real Madrid (2)
2014 - Cristiano Ronaldo - Real Madrid (3)
2015 - Lionel Messi - Barcelona (5)
2016 - Cristiano Ronaldo - Real Madrid (4)
2017 - Cristiano Ronaldo - Real Madrid (5)
2018 - Luka Modric - Real Madrid (1)
2019 - Lionel Messi - Barcelona (6)
2020 - Not awarded due to COVID-19
2021 - Lionel Messi - Paris-Saint Germain (7)
2022 - Karim Benzema - Real Madrid (1)
2023 - Lionel Messi - Inter Miami (8)
Who votes? In case you were wondering
- The men's and women's Ballon d'Or is voted by 'an international jury' of journalists, with one representative per country.
- The Kopa Trophy is decided by ex-Ballon d'Or winners.
- A group a journalists will vote for the Yachine Trophy, as is the case with both the Club of the Season and Coach of the Year awards.
What time do things get going?
The iconic Theatre du Chatelet in Paris will be the venue for the award ceremony on 28 October with the event set to start at 3:45 pm (ET)/ 8:45 pm (local time in Paris).
Perhaps surprisingly, the USMNT and Milan player failed to make the shortlist for Men's Player of the Year.
He joins the likes of Mo Salah, Luka Modric, Rodrygo, Jamal Musiala, Angel DiMaria, and Virgil VanDijk on the list of players who got left out, to the rage of some loyal fans.
A throwback to the last time a Real Madrid player won
Karim Benzema, who now plies his trade in Saudi Arabia, was the last Real Madrid player to be named as the best men's player in world football.
Andrew Hancock/ISI Photos / Getty Images
USWNT stars nominated
A total of five USWNT stars have made the Ballon d'OR shortlist of 28 players this year.
They include Lindsey Horan (Lyon), Trinity Rodman (Washington Spirit), Mallory Swanson and Alyssa Naeher (Chicago Red Stars), Sophia Smith (Portland Thorns).
All of these players have had stellar seasons for both club and country and have grown hugely under the direction of Emma Hayes with the national team.
How is the Ballon d'Or made?
The famous trophy includes a pyrite base and the overall structure measures 31 cm in height and 23 cm in diameter, and weighs just over 7 kg.
The trophy is made with two brass plates that are soldered together to create the shape of a ball before then being filled with a wax-like material and bathed in gold on the outside.
While the numbers are kept secret, it is widely reported to be worth somewhere in the region of $3,000.
Juan Herrero / EFE
Who is the favourite for the women's award?
Barcelona's Aitana Bonmatí is the favourite for many when it comes to the award this year.
The Spaniard would be looking to win her second consecutive Ballon d'Or after picking up the trophy last time out. However, this time things might not be so easy: she has teammate Caroline Graham Hansen, a regularly overlooked player, hot on her heels for what would be a fully deserved recognition of her insane talent.
Who is nominated for the women's award?
· Barbra Banda (Zambia, Shanghai RCB / Orlando Pride)
· Aitana Bonmatí (Spain, Barcelona)
· Lucy Bronze (England, Barcelona / Chelsea)
· Mariona Caldentey (Spain, Barcelona / Arsenal)
· Tabitha Chawinga (Malawi, Paris Saint-Germain / Lyon)
· Grace Geyoro (France, Paris Saint-Germain)
· Manuela Giugliano (Italy, Roma)
· Caroline Graham Hansen (Norway, Barcelona)
· Patricia Guijarro (Spain, Barcelona)
· Giulia Gwinn (Germany, Bayern München)
· Yui Hasegawa (Japan, Manchester City)
· Ada Hegerberg (Norway, Lyon)
· Lauren Hemp (England, Manchester City)
· Lindsey Horan (USA, Lyon)
· Lauren James (England, Chelsea)
· Marie-Antoinette Katoto (France, Paris Saint-Germain)
· Alyssa Naeher (USA, Chicago Red Stars)
· Sjoeke Nüsken (Germany, Chelsea)
· Ewa Pajor (Poland, Wolfsburg / Barcelona)
· Salma Paralluelo (Spain, Barcelona)
· Gabi Portilho (Brazil, Corinthians)
· Alexia Putellas (Spain, Barcelona)
· Mayra Ramírez (Colombia, Levante / Chelsea)
· Trinity Rodman (USA, Washington Spirit)
· Lea Schüller (Germany, Bayern München)
· Khadija Shaw (Jamaica, Manchester City)
· Sophia Smith (USA, Portland Thorns)
· Mallory Swanson (USA, Chicago Red Stars)
· Tarciane (Brazil, Corinthians / Houston Dash)
· Glódís Viggósdóttir (Iceland, Bayern München)
JESUS ALVAREZ ORIHUELA / DIARIO AS
Who is the favourite for the men's award?
Real Madrid winger Vinicius Júnior is the favourite to win the prize and the title of best men's player in the world.
The Brazilian played 49 games for club and country in 2023/24, scoring 26 goals and providing 11 assists.
As well as those numbers, he was a constant menace for right backs across the world, with his pace, power and much improved finishing causing havoc for defences that he tore up throughout the campaign.
Who is nominated for the men's Ballon d'Or?
Here's the full list of nominees for the 2024 Ballon d'Or:
· Jude Bellingham (England, Real Madrid)
· Hakan Çalhanoğlu (Türkiye, Inter)
· Dani Carvajal (Spain, Real Madrid)
· Rúben Dias (Portugal, Manchester City)
· Artem Dovbyk (Ukraine, Dnipro / Girona / Roma)
· Phil Foden (England, Manchester City)
· Alejandro Grimaldo (Spain, Bayer Leverkusen)
· Erling Haaland (Norway, Manchester City)
· Mats Hummels (Germany, Borussia Dortmund)
· Harry Kane (England, Bayern München)
· Toni Kroos (Germany, Real Madrid)
· Ademola Lookman (Nigeria, Atalanta)
· Emiliano Martínez (Argentina, Aston Villa)
· Lautaro Martínez (Argentina, Inter)
· Kylian Mbappé (France, Paris Saint-Germain / Real Madrid)
· Martin Ødegaard (Norway, Arsenal)
· Dani Olmo (Spain, Leipzig / Barcelona)
· Cole Palmer (England, Manchester City / Chelsea)
· Declan Rice (England, Arsenal)
· Rodri (Spain, Manchester City)
· Antonio Rüdiger (Germany, Real Madrid)
· Bukayo Saka (England, Arsenal)
· William Saliba (France, Arsenal)
· Federico Valverde (Uruguay, Real Madrid)
· Vinícius Júnior (Brazil, Real Madrid)
· Vitinha (Portugal, Paris Saint-Germain)
· Nico Williams (Spain, Athletic Club)
· Florian Wirtz (Germany, Bayer Leverkusen)
· Granit Xhaka (Switzerland, Bayer Leverkusen)
· Lamine Yamal (Spain, Barcelona)
Welcome!
Hello and welcome to the AS USA live feed for the 2024 Ballon d'Or.
Today, we're going to definitively find out who is the world's best player over the past year.
The ceremony is set to start at 3:45 pm (ET)/ 8:45 pm (local time in Paris).
However, we've got a full docket of pre-ceremony action for you to consume right here.