Ballon d’Or, one in thirty makes it (but two play for it): the candidates

Golden Ball, one in thirty makes it

Thirty stars are vying to win the most prestigious individual award in international soccer: the Ballon d’Oro. Two are the big favorites for the 2023 edition: Lionel Messi, who dragged Argentina to the roof of the world, and Erling Braut Haaland, who won the Triple with Manchester City. 

Only one, the Italian representative, the interist Nicolò Barella. Three, on the other hand, are foreign players playing in Serie A: Kvaratskhelia and Osimhen, from Napoli, and Lautaro Martinez, from Inter.

The full list of finalists, revealed by France Football, a periodical that conceived and organized the award, è consisted of Lionel Messi, Erling Haaland, André Onana, Josko Gvardiol, Karim Benzema, Jamal Musiala, Mohamed Salah, Jude Bellingham, Bukayo Saka, Randal Kolo Muani, Kevin De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva, Emiliano Martínez, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Rúben Dias, Nicolo Barella, Yassine Bounou, Martin Ødegaard, Julián Álvarez, Ilkay Gündogan, Vinícius Júnior, Rodri, Lautaro Martínez, Antoine Griezmann, Robert Lewandowski, Kylian Mbappé, Kim Min-jae, Victor Osimhen, Luka Modric, Harry Kane.