Arsenal
Inter Miami standout Lionel Messi heads the list of nominees for this year’s men’s Ballon d’Or award after helping Argentina win the World Cup.
Erling Haaland, Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham and Bukayo Saka are other notable inclusions on the 30-man shortlist for the prize, which was released by organisers France Football on Wednesday.
Messi is already a record seven-time winner of the annual prize for the world’s best player and is the favourite again this time around.
The 36-year-old, who now plays his club football with Inter Miami, was his country’s chief inspiration as they triumphed in Qatar last winter, scoring seven goals in the tournament.
Haaland, who scored a remarkable 52 goals for treble-winning Manchester City last season, is one of seven players from the successful City side to make the list.
Former captain Ilkay Gundogan, who is now at Barcelona, another World Cup-winner in Julian Alvarez, Ruben Dias, Kevin De Bruyne, Rodri and Bernardo Silva were the others.
England captain Harry Kane is rewarded after scoring 40 goals for club and country before switching Tottenham for Bayern Munich. England team-mates Bellingham, who is now at Real Madrid, and Saka, of Arsenal, also enjoyed strong campaigns.
Who will win the Ballon d’Or in 2023? Not Haaland as Messi is massive odds-on favourite
Other notable Premier League inclusions are Aston Villa’s World Cup-winning goalkeeper Emi Martinez, Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah and Arsenal’s Martin Odegaard.
Five-time winner Cristiano Ronaldo, who plays in Saudi Arabia for Al-Nassr, was not nominated for the first time since 2003.
England’s Rachel Daly, Georgia Stanway, Millie Bright and Mary Earps are on the shortlist for the women’s award following their run to the World Cup
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