Best football player of the season: Who wins Ballon d’Or 2024 tonight?

The Ballon d’Or 2024 ceremony will take place at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris tonight.

A celebration where France Football magazine will present the award to the best player of the past season, among other awards.

Lionel Messi took home his eighth Ballon d’Or after picking up the 2023 prize in Paris back in October. An award he won after winning the last World Cup in Qatar in 2022 with Argentina.

This year, all signs point to Vinicius as the top contender, however his absence at the award tonight, suggests that Spanish midfielder Rodri would win.

Here are likely winners of Ballon d’Or 2024:

Vinicius Junior

Vinicius Junior is the favorite for the Ballon d’Or 2024. The Real Madrid and Brazil star was one of the most outstanding players of the 23/24 season. The winger registered 24 goals and nine assists with Los Blancos in 39 matches. With Brazil, he scored two goals and provided two assists in 10 matches.

He played a key role in Madrid’s 15th Champions League triumph, scoring a decisive goal in the final to clinch the victory.

He also played a decisive role in the quarterfinals and semis, with two goals against Manchester City and another two against Bayern Munich. He added three more titles to his trophy cabinet, the Spanish Super Cup, LaLiga and the Champions League.

Rodri

The Spanish midfielder was one of the most important players last season. He was the nucleus of both Manchester City and Spain and this is backed up by his numbers. He played in absolutely everything and always as a starter. He played 45 games for the English club, where he scored nine goals and provided 12 assists.

With Guardiola’s team he won the Premier League, the European Super Cup and the Club World Cup.

With the national team coached by Luis de la Fuente, he played 14 games, scoring three goals and assisting one. In charge of dictating the rhythm of the team, he was one of the great architects of the European Championship win. An irreplaceable figure who, after a majestic season, deserved to be among the top contenders for the trophy.

Dani Carvajal

The Real Madrid captain, leader and fundamental piece of both Los Blancos and the Spanish National Team. The fullback scored six goals and provided six assists in 41 matches with the Merengue team. One of those goals was, like Vini, in the Champions League final, so his involvement and contribution proved to be key.

The Spanish defender had a brilliant season at a superb level. His outstanding form also transferred to his participation with Spain, where he was entrusted as one of the most important players of the squad in the conquest of the European Championship. In addition to the title with the National Team, he also added a new Champions League, a League and a Spanish Super Cup to his list of successes.

Jude Bellingham

Bellingham’s first season with Real Madrid was predicted by few. He landed on his feet at Real Madrid and his statistics reflect that. He developed a goal-scoring form that surprised even the player himself and finished the campaign with 23 goals and 13 assists.

An extraordinary start to his time in the Spanish capital, adding three trophies to his record, his first Champions League, the Spanish Super Cup and LaLiga.

With the English national team, he played 12 games, scoring four goals and providing four assists. Although he reached the final of the European Championship, in which he lost to Spain, his participation in the championship, like England as a whole, was not particularly remarkable. However, in the overall computation, he has strongly earned his place among the top favorites for this award.

Here is a full list of other Ballon d’Or 2024 nominees

Ruben Dias (Portugal and Manchester City)

•Phil Foden (England and Manchester City)

•Federico Valverde (Uruguay and Real Madrid)

•Emiliano Martinez (Argentina and Aston Villa)

•Cole Palmer (England and Chelsea)

•Erling Haaland (Norway and Manchester City)

•Ademola Lookman (Nigeria and Atalanta)

•Nico Williams (Spain and Athletic Bilbao)

•Granit Xhaka (Switzerland and Bayer Leverkusen)

•Artem Dovbyk (Ukraine and Roma)

•Toni Kroos (former Germany and Real Madrid)