2024 BALLON D'OR
The record that Toni Kroos could create should he win the Ballon d’Or
The German has been shortlisted in the 30 names nominated for Men’s Player of the Season.
France Football revealed the 2024 Ballon d’Or shortlisted players, teams and coaches on Wednesday evening with the 2024 gala event set to take place in Paris on 28 October.
The shortlist of nominees have been compiled based on their performance over the season, from 1 August (2023), to 31 July (2024) with a panel of journalists from the top 100 countries in the FIFA rankings for men and the top 50 for women then set to cast their votes.
Real Madrid and the Spanish national team - winners of the Champions League and European Championship respectively - are the most represented candidates, while FC Barcelona women’s team also claim eight nominees.
Los Blancos stars: Bellingham, Valverde, the now retired Toni Kroos, Vinicius, Carvajal, Mbappé and Antonio Rüdiger were all shortlisted along with La Roja’s Nico, Olmo, Rodri, Carvajal, Lamine and Grimaldo in a Men’s Player of the Season nomination list, that for the first time since 2003, failed to include either Lionel Messi (eight time winner) and Cristiano Ronaldo who has won the award on five occasions.
Other Real Madrid players such as Arda Guler (Kopa Award), Lunin (Yashin Award) and head coach Carlo Ancelotti were also among the nomininations as was the club for ‘Men’s Club of the Year Award’.
Kroos to win?
The now former Germany and Real Madrid player appears on the shortlist for ‘Player of the Year’ despite hanging up his boots after Germany’s elimination at Euro 2024 when a late Mikel Merino quarter-final goal for Spain in Stuttgart ended his dream of a perfect farewell in securing the Euro 2024 title, a LaLiga win, a Champions League triumph.
Kroos racked up awards and trophies in his 17-year senior career, including three Bundesliga titles with Bayern Munich and four with Real Madrid.
The measured midfielder leaves football with six Champions League triumphs and a World Cup winners medal and was arguably playing some of his best football last season with the Santiago Bernabeu side.
Whilst the 34-year-old German could be a decent outside bet for the award, he faces stiff competition from the likes of Vinicius Jr, Jude Bellingham and current favourite Rodri.
Should the mercurial, now ex-midfielder scoop the Ballon d’Or award at the Théâtre du Châtelet next month, he would become the first ever non-active player to be handed the prestigious accolade.