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Portuguese football great Cristiano Ronaldo named his top four favourites to win the Ballon d’Or Award 2024. Ronaldo himself has won the award five times, only behind FIFA World Cup 2022 winning captain, Lionel Messi, who has won it eight times. Notably, for the first time in more than two decades, the likes of Messi and Ronaldo haven’t been aren’t named in the 2024 Ballon d’Or nomination list. This might mean the end of an era for both the legends of the game. In 2023, Messi won the award, extending his winning streak to the eighth time.
While he might not be a part of the nomination list, the Al-Nassr great Ronaldo picked his top favourites who he thinks are the front contenders to win the award. Ronaldo named France international Kylian Mbappe, Norwegian player Erling Haaland, England’s Jude Bellingham, and Spain’s Lamine Yamal as the possible future winners of the award. The Portugal captain also said that the FIFA World Cup 2018 winner, Mbappe can win the Ballon d’Or award in the near future. Notably, the winner of the men's Ballon d'Or will be announced on October 28.
“Kylian Mbappé can win the Ballon d’Or for the next few years, probably Haaland, Bellingham. Also, Lamine Yamal. I think this new generation has a lot of potential," said Ronaldo on his YouTube channel during a conversation with Rio Ferdinand. He added, “Mbappé can be the next golden ball [Ballon d'Or] winner. Him, [Erling] Haaland, [Jude] Bellingham, Lamine [Yamal].”
Ballon d'Or 2024: Full nominees list
Here is the complete list of players who earned nomination for the 2024 Ballon d'Or Award
Jude Bellingham
Ruben Dias
Phil Foden
Federico Valverde
Emiliano Martinez
Nico Williams
Erling Haaland
Toni Kroos
Granit Xhaka
Artem Dovbik
Dani Olmo
Vinicius Jr
Martin Odegaard
Mats Hummels
Florian Wirtz
Harry Kane
Rodri
Declan Rice
Vitinha
Cole Palmer
Lamine Yamal
Dani Carvajal
Bukayo Saka
Hakan Calhanoglu
William Saliba
Kylian Mbappe
Lautaro Martinez
Ademola Lookman
Antonio Rudiger
Alejandro Grimaldo
List of Ballon d’Or winners from 1956 to 2023
Here's the complete list of Ballon d'Or winners from 1956 to 2023
2023- Lionel Messi (Argentina)
2022- Karim Benzema (France)
2021- Lionel Messi (Argentina)
2020- Not awarded due to the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic
2019- Lionel Messi (Argentina)
2018- Luka Modric (Croatia)
2017- Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)
2016- Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)
2015- Lionel Messi (Argentina)
2014- Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)
2013- Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)
2012- Lionel Messi (Argentina)
2011- Lionel Messi (Argentina)
2010- Lionel Messi (Argentina)
2009- Lionel Messi (Argentina)
2008- Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)
2007- Kaká (Brazil)
2006- Fabio Cannavaro (Italy)
2005- Ronaldinho (Brazil)
2004- Andriy Shevchenko (Ukraine)
2003- Pavel Nedvěd (Czechia)
2002- Ronaldo (Brazil)
2001- Michael Owen (England)
2000- Luís Figo (Portugal)
1999- Rivaldo (Brazil)
1998- Zinedine Zidane (France)
1997- Ronaldo (Brazil)
1996- Matthias Sammer (Germany)
1995- George Weah (Liberia)
1994- Hristo Stoichkov (Bulgaria)
1993- Roberto Baggio (Italy)
1992- Marco van Basten (Netherlands)
1991- Jean-Pierre Papin (France)
1990- Lothar Matthäus (Germany)
1989- Marco van Basten (Netherlands)
1988- Marco van Basten (Netherlands)
1987- Ruud Gullit (Netherlands)
1986- Igor Belanov (Soviet Union)
1985- Michel Platini (France)
1984- Michel Platini (France)
1983- Michel Platini (France)
1982- Paolo Rossi (Italy)
1981- Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (West Germany)
1980- Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (West Germany)
1979- Kevin Keegan (England)
1978- Kevin Keegan (England)
1977- Allan Simonsen (Denmark)
1976- Franz Beckenbauer (West Germany)
1975- Oleg Blokhin (Soviet Union)
1974- Johan Cruyff (Netherlands)
1973- Johan Cruyff (Netherlands)
1972- Franz Beckenbauer (West Germany)
1971- Johan Cruyff (Netherlands)
1970- Gerd Müller (West Germany)
1969- Gianni Rivera (Italy)
1968- George Best (Northern Ireland)
1967- Flórián Albert (Hungary)
1966- Bobby Charlton (England)
1965- Eusébio (Portugal)
1964- Denis Law (Scotland)
1963- Lev Yashin (Soviet Union)
1962- Josef Masopust (Czechoslovakia)
1961- Omar Sívori (Italy)
1960- Luis Suárez (Spain)
1959- Alfredo Di Stéfano (Argentina)
1958- Raymond Kopa (France)
1957- Alfredo Di Stéfano (Argentina)
1956- Stanley Matthews (England)
