The 2023 Ballon d’Or could signal a changing of the guard at football’s most prestigious award as Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi’s grip is set to loosen further.
The pair are the most successful stars in the awards’ history, with Messi winning seven and Ronaldo taking five as part of their post-2008 dominance.
However, despite Messi’s incredible success, his two wins in the last four years have come alongside the trophy triumphs of Luka Modric (2018) and Karim Benzema (2022).
Benzema’s last injury-interrupted season at Real Madrid before joining Al Ittihad this summer could damage his chances of defending the title, with Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe set to continue their blossoming rivalry as another heavyweight duo.
When is Ballon d’Or 2023?
The shortlist of nominees for the award will be confirmed on September 6, 2023, with the Ballon d’Or ceremony taking place on October 30, 2023.
The Ballon d’Or will continue its updated policy of taking into account performances across a season (August-July) and not a calendar year (January-December).
Who votes for Ballon d’Or in 2023?
For the men’s Ballon d’Or award, votes are cast by 180 journalists from around the world, with each representing a different country.
They are asked to rank their top five players from the 30-man shortlist in order of merit. The player ranked first receives five points, the second four points, and so on.
The overall winner is confirmed by the player with the most total points from the votes. In the unlikely event of a tie, the winner is whoever has most first-place votes.
Journalists will be instructed that individual performances should form the basis of their votes, with team trophies a secondary factor.
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