2024 Ballon d'Or nominees - ranked

Euro 2024 winner / Richard Pelham/GettyImages He may not have moved to Barcelona, but Nico Williams has earned a Ballon d'Or nomination at least. That's quite consolation prize in our books. The nomination is well deserved too thanks in large part to his exploits at Euro 2024. His player of the match performance, and winning goal, against England in the final was pretty damn special. Retired / Mika Volkmann/GettyImages Even in the very final year of his legendary career, Toni Kroos was one of the best and most effective footballers in the world. The German's metronomic presence at the heart of the Real Madrid midfield was pivotal to their La Liga and UEFA Champions League double in 2023/24. He's already sorely missed at the Santiago Bernabeu. Won it all / Visionhaus/GettyImages The fact that Euro 2024 was Dani Carvajal's first ever European Championship tournament, at the age of 32, was pretty surprising. The fact that he won it wasn't at all. The right-back enjoyed a remarkably trophy-laden 2023/24 at both club and international level, adding Euro 2024 to the La Liga and UEFA Champions League he won with Real Madrid. Oh, and he also scored in the final of the latter. Nice one. Foden won PFA POTY / Julian Finney/GettyImages Sure, he didn't have the greatest Euro 2024, but one can't deny just how bloody fantastic Phil Foden was for Manchester City in the Premier League last season. The Premier League title, PFA Players' Player of the Year, Premier League Player of the Season and FWA Footballer of the Year awards he won are proof of his brilliance. Superstar / Mateo Villalba/GettyImages Kylian Mbappe may be the most talented footballer in the world, but he wasn't the 'best' footballer in the world during the 2023/24 season. That being said, having scored 44 goals in 48 games, he was pretty close to being the best though. Young gun / Justin Setterfield/GettyImages The favourite to win the 2024 edition of the Kopa Trophy, Lamine Yamal should get a fair few Ballon d'Or votes this year too. Which, yes, is utterly riduculous because he's 17 years old. The youngster cemented himself as a genuine superstar of world football in 2023/24 despite his tender age, helping Spain to a triumph at Euro 2024 along the way. Bellingham impressed / Rafa Babot/GettyImages For much of last season, Jude Bellingham looked certain to win the Ballon d'Or. In the end, however, his slight tailing off of form late in the campaign has led to him falling down the pecking order a little bit. Still, though, the impressive spate of goalscoring he enjoyed early in the 2023/24 season should be enough to bag him a fair few Ballon d'Or votes come the end of October. 23 goals from attacking midfield is certainly nothing to be sniffed at after all. Champion / Edith Geuppert - GES Sportfoto/GettyImages No footballer in the world guarantees wins in the way that Rodri does. Be it at club level with Manchester City - where he won another Premier League title - or at international level with Spain - where he won Euro 2024 - Rodri's immense presence in the middle of the park guarantees trophies for whichever team he plays for. He's an utterly remarkable midfielder, and rightly one of the favourites to win the Ballon d'Or this year. Best around? / Diego Souto/GettyImages It has to be Vinicius Junior, doesn't it? The wide forward was utterly unplayable when it mattered most for Real Madrid last season, netting three goals in the semi finals and final of the Champions League to famously win the trophy for a record 15th time. No player stepped up in big games the way Vini did throughout the 2023/24 season.