The race for the 2024 Ballon d’Or is hotting up.
The prestigious award ceremony, which will take place on Monday 28th October 2024, will see footballing royalty come out and celebrate the individual achievements of the game’s best players.
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have dominated the award in recent history with the former named the world’s best player on eight occasions and the latter five. The only two other players to win the award since 2008 have been Luka Modric (2018) and Karim Benzema (2022).
And just like those two years, the 2024 award ceremony, which will take place at the Theatre du Chateletis in Paris, is expected to see another first-time winner.
Ballon d’Or 2024 odds
Below is a list of the current top five favourites.
Phil Foden 10/1
The Manchester City playmaker is enjoying the season of his life.
The 23-year-old, who already boasts 14 major trophies, including last season’s remarkable treble, has been one of Pep Guardiola’s most influential attackers again this season.
Scoring 22 goals and registering 10 assists in 42 games, in all competitions, Foden is deservingly in the mix to win the 2024 Ballon d’Or, although Manchester City’s recent Champions League quarter-final exit against Real Madrid may hamper the Englishman’s chances.
Erling Haaland 10/1
Despite being no where near his best form, Manchester City striker Erling Haaland is still considered one of the favourites to win this year’s Ballon d’Or.
Although not at his prolific best, the Norwegian forward has still managed to score 31 goals in all competitions this season.
However, paired with City’s disappointing Champions League campaign and the Premier League title still undecided, Haaland’s efforts may not be quite enough to see him go one better than last year when he finished runner-up to Messi.
Harry Kane 7/1
Having made the move from Spurs to Bayern Munich last summer, fans were eager to see if Harry Kane could perform in a different league.
And proving he really is one of Europe’s best marksmen, the England international has enjoyed another fine individual campaign.
Although Bayern Munich have had a disappointing campaign, with their only hopes of silverware now pinned on the Champions League, Kane has been a standout performer. Scoring 40 goals in 41 games in all competitions, the ex-Spurs star may never be as close to winning the Ballon d’Or as he is this year.
Kylian Mbappe 11/4
Finishing third in the award’s standings last year, Paris Saint-Germain’s Kylian Mbappe is right in the mix again this time around.
The world-class attacker has yet to win the award despite his impressive trophy-haul which also includes a World Cup with France.
However, if the 25-year-old is to be crowned the sports’ best player, he will likely have to guide Paris Saint-Germain to their first-ever Champions League.
Jude Bellingham 5/2
At the time of writing, this year’s favourite is Real Madrid superstar Jude Bellingham.
Experiencing a meteoric rise at the Santiago Bernabeu comparable only with the likes of Ronaldo following his world famous transfer to the Spanish capital in 2009, Bellingham could not have dreamed of the campaign he’s having.
Filling in for the recently departed Benzema, England’s Bellingham has already reached double figures in goals (21) and assists (10) for the season including another last-gasp winner in the El Classico last weekend.
A Champions League win with Real Madrid and/or a good Euros tournament with Gareth Southgate’s Three Lions will almost certainly see the 20-year-old make history and become the first Englishman to win the Ballon d’Or since Michael Owen in 2001.