The top five contenders for the 2024 Ballon d'Or right now

There are few more prestigious honours in the world of football than being awarded the Ballon d’Or. The award is handed out to the star that is deemed to be the best player in the world over the previous season, with Lionel Messi being the dominant star in the award’s history.

However, the list of winners of the Ballon d’Or features a who’s-who of the greatest players to have played the game, with legendary figures such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Johan Cruyff, and Franz Beckenbauer all getting their hands on the famous accolade.

There will be a competitive vote for the winner this year, with leading sportsbook 22bet.ug offering odds for the potential winner. You can find out more about the front-runners to win the Ballon d’Or in 2024 here.

Vinicuis Jr

There were always huge hopes when it was revealed that Real Madrid had agreed on a deal to sign Vinicius Jr, with many experts in Brazil claiming that the winger was a future Ballon d’Or winner.

The 23-year-old has certainly emerged as one of the best players in the world across recent seasons, playing his role in massive domestic and European moments for Real Madrid.

The skillful winger enjoyed his best season to date with Los Blancos in 2023-24, netting 24 goals in 39 appearances as the club won the La Liga and Champions League titles. However, his Ballon d’Or prospects could have been negatively impacted following Brazil’s shock exit in the quarterfinals at the Copa America.

Jude Bellingham

Jude Bellingham’s ascent to the top of football has shown no signs of stopping since joining Real Madrid from Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2023. The England international is still only 21 years old, but his quick transition to life in Spain showcased his desire to take his game to the next level.

Bellingham was named the Golden Boy for 2023, and continued his progression by becoming the highest-scoring Englishman for Madrid after netting the winner in the El Clasico against Real Madrid.

Jude Bellingham’s form continued in the Champions League, ending the tournament with four goals and five assists following the team’s win over Borussia Dortmund in the final. His Ballon d’Or credentials could be significantly enhanced if he is able to guide England to a first major success since 1966 at the EUROs.

The chances of that could be high based on the fact that the Three Lions are the current favourites with 22bet.ug to win the honour, sparking hope and optimism among football fans.

Kylian Mbappe

Kylian Mbappe is widely regarded as one of the best footballers on the planet, but he is yet to get his hands on the prestigious Ballon d’Or to showcase his skills. The Frenchman wasn’t far away from the headlines throughout the 2023-24 season, with questions surrounding his future being asked throughout PSG’s run to the Ligue 1 title.

However, his long-term plans were revealed before the start of the EUROs, with Mbappe revealing that he would be playing for Real Madrid from the start of the 2024-25 season.

Despite uncertainty surrounding his future, the 25-year-old continued to be impressive on the field, netting a staggering 44 goals in 48 appearances across all competitions, marking his best scoring return to date.

Mbappe’s Ballon d’Or prospects will likely hinge on international success this summer, but he remains very hard to ignore after finishing third in the voting last year.

Harry Kane

Despite being regarded as one of the greatest strikers of his generation, Harry Kane is yet to finish in the top three of the voting for the Ballon d’Or.

The 30-year-old enjoyed an excellent 14-year stay at Tottenham, before moving to Bayern Munich in the hope of winning silverware in the summer of 2023, becoming the most expensive Bundesliga signing in history in the process.

Despite Bayern Munich’s ten-year grip on the title coming to an end, Kane’s performances were out of this world, netting a staggering 36 Bundesliga goals in his first campaign to win the European Golden Shoe for the first time. However, his long wait for a first major honour of his career has continued, but that could come to an end if he is able to lead England to EUROs success this summer.

Phil Foden

Phil Foden was labelled as one of the most talented players that Pep Guardiola has worked with since the Spaniard arrived at the Etihad, and he showed exactly why he is regarded so highly during the 2023-24 season.

Foden was the standout player for Man City as they made history last season by winning a fourth straight Premier League title, with the 24-year-old picking up the Premier League Player of the Season award in the process.

Foden finished the season with his personal best stats, netting 27 goals across all competitions, including 19 in the Premier League. But, his Ballon d’Or prospects could have been hindered after struggling at the EUROs with England.

Get ahead of the game when making bets on the biggest football events with 22bet.ug in 2024-25, with the sportsbook offering leading odds for matches taking place in the Premier League, La Liga, and Champions League