Top 10 Early Favourites For 2023 Ballon d’Or

By Oladosu Oluwagbenga 

Top 10 Early Favourites For 2023 Ballon d’Or  –  Despite the fact that Karim Benzema has only recently been awarded the 2022 trophy, the competition to be voted the world’s best player the following year has already started.

Are you prepared to start over? After one Ballon d’Or contest is over (congrats to Karim Benzema! ), another is quickly approaching. In fact, the top participants in the game have already staked early claims to the vote for the following year.

With the World Cup occurring in the middle of the 2022–23 season, it promises to be a special Ballon d’Or. As a result, by the time voting takes place in just under a year, it might be a distant memory.

The possibility for a tournament-defining performance must be kept in mind as THEEAGLE prepares to track the race with our Ballon d’Or Power Rankings because playing a prominent role in Qatar will without a doubt increase a player’s chances of vying for the Golden Ball.

Who, then, has established themselves as contenders through their early-season exploits, and who has to catch up?

Join us as we begin our 12-month journey.

#10 Phil Foden (Manchester City)

In 2022-23: Seven goals, three assists.

Even though he is only 22 years old, Foden currently plays and feels like a seasoned veteran, and his personal goals and assists totals are constantly breaking records.

Erling Haaland and he appear to have developed a rapport early on at City, and their recent hat-tricks in the Manchester Derby served as a scary foreshadowing of just how potent they could be together in the coming seasons.

Foden and Gareth Southgate now face the challenge of converting their club success into regular match-winning performances while representing England, beginning in Qatar next month.

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#9 Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)

In 2022-23: 11 goals, four assists. Won Community Shield.

Salah’s season hasn’t exactly gotten off to a spectacular start, but the previous week has at least provided a hint that the Egyptian star may be returning to form.

Salah seems to have found a new lease on life after his record-breaking hat-trick against Rangers and match-winning performance against Manchester City. He may yet be unstoppable in the second half of the season.

However, because he won’t be at the World Cup, his chances of winning the Ballon d’Or are currently improbable.

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#8 Karim Benzema (Real Madrid)

In 2022-23: Five goals, one assist.

The 2022 Ballon d’Or winner has not yet been able to completely continue the momentum of the previous season into 2022–23 due to injuries, but that does not mean he is not making an impact.

Benzema has scored four goals in just six Liga games this season, and with Madrid once again looking like they will contend for multiple championships, he has time to get back to his best. On Sunday, Benzema scored the first goal in Madrid’s Clasico victory over Barcelona.

It would also help his chances of winning the Golden Ball for the second time in a row if he could give a struggling France team the much-needed boost they need for their impending World Cup defense.

#7 Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City)

In 2022-23: Two goals, 12 assists.

For a few years now, De Bruyne has been on the verge of breaking the Premier League’s single-season assist record, but Erling Haaland’s presence in the penalty area could be the decisive factor this time.

De Bruyne continues to be a game-changer for Man City and the best creative midfielder in sport, despite his inability to maintain the goal-scoring form he displayed in the second half of last season.

In Qatar, too, Belgium will need him to be just that as their “Golden Generation” makes one final bid for a significant international honor.

#6 Vinicius Junior (Real Madrid)

In 2022-23: Seven goals, five assists.

Vinicius has proven to be one of the world’s most dangerous attackers over the previous few months, disproving everyone who had any doubts about him or thought that last season might have been a passing phase.

As Benzema struggles with his fitness, Vinicius has stepped up to be the team’s attacking spearhead with enthusiasm. His electrifying pace and significantly improved finishing skills make him a nightmare for opposing full-backs to defend.

This season for Vinicius could be even better than the last, which is really saying something considering he is almost a lock to start for Brazil now as well.

#5 Robert Lewandowski (Barcelona)

In 2022-23: 14 goals, four assists.

Lewandowski, Barcelona’s star summer acquisition, has already scored for the Blaugrana at a rate more than one goal per game, so he most definitely didn’t leave his shooting boots in Munich.

It remains to be seen how much Barcelona’s almost certain early exit from the Champions League will affect his chances while his opponents are dominating the knockout stages, but if he can keep up this form for the entire season, he promises to be in the race for the Ballon d’Or once more.

Poland’s World Cup performance will be one way to make up for that, though it should be noted that their last two big championships have ended with disastrous group-stage exits.

#4 Erling Haaland (Manchester City)

In 2022-23: 21 goals, three assists.

‘FOURTH?! YOU ONLY HAVE HAALAND IN FOURTH?!’

Give us a chance to explain. Haaland would undoubtedly win the 2023 Ballon d’Or if it were awarded tomorrow. Since joining City, he has been performing at a startling level, and if his unstoppable campaign keeps going, he may break a ton of records.

The World Cup, which given its stature promises to be important in determining the Ballon d’Or winner, has not yet taken place.

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Haaland will be watching Qatar 2022 from home due to Norway’s failure to qualify, giving the bulk of his competitors the opportunity to make their claim for individual honors if they can put on a genuinely exceptional tournament performance.

If none of them do, the path to winning the Ballon d’Or becomes a lot clearer for Haaland. For now, he can only keep on scoring and play the waiting game.

#3 Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain)

In 2022-23: 13 goals, one assist.

The questions that are currently hanging over Mbappe, who is trapped in a soap opera of his own making, are likely to dominate discussion of him throughout the season.

It will be interesting to see how he performs in the coming months when all eyes are on him because it is a distraction neither he nor the teams he plays for need.

When France attempts to defend its World Cup title in Qatar, that scrutiny will begin. For France to have a successful World Cup, they will need far more from Mbappe than they did at the 2021 European Championship.

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#2 Neymar (Paris Saint-Germain)

In 2022-23: 13 goals, 11 assists.

Neymar’s days of contending for the Ballon d’Or may have seemed gone after he failed to make the shortlist for the 2022 award and turned 30.

They may be correct, but given where we are in the season and what is ahead, the most expensive player in football history could not have done more to make sure he is still in the running for the award in a year.

He seemed to be enjoying himself again while playing for PSG under Christophe Galtier, and he will travel to Qatar the following month as the attacking captain of the pre-tournament favorites, Brazil.

The rumours of Neymar’s demise may have been greatly overblown, but it doesn’t mean anything unless he plays well at the World Cup and maintains his club form into the new year.

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#1 Lionel Messi (Paris Saint-Germain)

In 2022-23: 12 goals, eight assists.

Even while Messi’s exclusion from the 30 candidates for the 2022 Ballon d’Or was not particularly controversial, given the seven-time winner’s history with the prize, it nevertheless came as a surprise.

But given that Messi has worked his way back to being at his best to begin the new season at PSG, it already appears to be an anomaly.

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The outcome of the World Cup will most certainly determine Messi’s chances of winning the Ballon d’Or, though. There is a sense of inevitability about the Copa America champions Argentina going all the way because they are currently the best team he has played for in terms of talent and team spirit. In addition, since he announced Qatar 2022 will be his final appearance at the competition, it is likely that they will win.

If you do that, an already full trophy case may very well be receiving an eighth Golden Ball.

Readers’ reactions welcome. Please do so at the comments’ box below this story. Thank you.

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