New Delhi: The 2024 Ballon d’Or ceremony is set to light up Paris once more, with football’s finest gathering at the Chatelet Theatre on Tuesday to celebrate the best of the beautiful game. This grand annual event, established by France Football magazine in 1956, remains one of the sport’s most iconic recognitions. Each year, a panel of journalists from the top 100 FIFA-ranked nations cast their votes for their top 10 players, giving points to determine the ultimate winner.
For the first time in two decades, neither Lionel Messi nor Cristiano Ronaldo will be part of the Ballon d’Or shortlist. Messi, the most decorated player in the award’s history with an incredible eight titles, captured his last in 2023 after Argentina’s unforgettable World Cup win in Qatar. But with both icons absent this year, a fresh wave of talent steps into the spotlight.
Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior, dynamic midfielder Jude Bellingham, and Manchester City’s ever-consistent Rodri headline the list of potential winners. With so much talent on show and a new chapter unfolding, this year’s Ballon d’Or promises excitement and maybe even a surprise or two.
