Ballon d’Or 2024 Power Rankings: Rodri’s Euro 2024 Triumph Catapults Man City And Spain Hero Into Top Spot As Jude Bellingham’s Hopes Turn To Dust

Despite that, he then underwhelmed in the final at Wembley, and also endured a forgettable Copa America, as he failed to find the net in four games as the Selecao crashed out at the quarter-final stage.

In 2023-24: 21 goals, 15 assists.

Anyone who believed Arsenal might fall away after last season’s title-race disappointment was proven wrong in 2023-24, with Saka leading the way for Mikel Arteta’s side as they aimed to break their long Premier League trophy drought. The England winger started 2024 in electric fashion as the Gunners showed their best form of the campaign, but they still managed to come up agonisingly short in their battle with Manchester City, while they also crashed out of the Champions League at the quarter-final stage in limp fashion to Bayern Munich, with Saka kept quiet in Bavaria.

Back in Germany this summer with England, Saka kicked-off Euro 2024 by providing an assist for Jude Bellingham to score against Serbia before starring in the quarter-final triumph over Switzerland. The Three Lions weren’t always at their best during their run to the final, but in Saka they had a player who never let them down despite playing in various positions.

In 2023-24: 13 goals, seven assists. Won Euro 2024 & DFL-Supercup.

Dani Olmo didn’t even make it into Spain’s starting line up at Euro 2024 until the semi-finals, but the RB Leipzig playmaker still managed to play a pivotal role for La Roja as they triumphed in Germany. He tallied three goals and two assists over the course of the tournament, earning him a share of the Golden Boot, though perhaps his most pivotal moment came when he cleared Marc Guehi’s header off the line in the closing stages of the final.

Olmo’s superb tournament came off the back of an up-and-down season at Leipzig, which began with him scoring a hat-trick in the DFL-Supercup final but saw his game-time restricted by injuries. Regardless, that figures to be his final season with the club as his Euros heroics look set to earn him a big-money move in the coming weeks.

In 2023-24: 21 goals, 13 assists. Won Copa America, Premier League, Club World Cup & UEFA Super Cup.

Julian Alvarez’s trophy collection continues to grow, as the Manchester City striker added another four winners’ medals over the course of a campaign in which he made 20 direct goal contributions in the Premier League after earning a more prominent role under Pep Guardiola.

His form for Argentina has been less spectacular, but he still managed to score twice as they successfully defended their Copa America crown in the United States.

In 2023-24: 28 goals, 17 assists. Won Copa America & Leagues Cup.

Surely not number nine?! Messi became the first man playing outside Europe to win the Ballon d’Or in 2023, but he earned the prize for his performances while employed by Paris Saint-Germain. Could he now win a Golden Ball while playing exclusively on the other side of the Atlantic?

The odds are admittedly stacked against him. With the MLS season having only begun in February, Messi will not be able to win any meaningful domestic trophies during the voting period for the 2024 award. His hopes of continental success are also over, as Inter Miami crashed out of the CONCACAF Champions Cup thanks to an embarrassing quarter-final exit at the hands of Monterrey.

Messi has, however, been in electric form for Miami so far this campaign, and then lead Argentina to a third-successive tournament triumph as they won Copa America in the United States. The ex-Barcelona star’s injury in the final summed up an underwhelming tournament for Messi personally, but some Ballon d’Or voters are still likely to name him on their ballot.

In 2023-24: 28 goals, six assists. Won Euro 2024.

Perennially maligned by fans around the world, Alvaro Morata can look back on the 2023-24 season with a lot of pride. He was one of the hottest strikers in Europe during the early months of the season as Atletico Madrid threatened to challenge for silverware yet again, and though his form fizzled out as Diego Simeone’s side struggled in the second half of the campaign, he still managed 21 goals in all competitions.

Morata was then captain as Spain triumphed at Euro 2024, and though he again struggled to provide much in front of goal, scoring just once during the tournament, his presence allowed others alongside him to thrive.

In 2023-24: 27 clean sheets. Won Copa America.

Ballon d’Or voters are always keen to ensure a couple of goalkeepers make the final shortlist, and yet again Emiliano Martinez finds himself at the front of the shot-stopper queue after another memorable campaign. The Argentina No.1 played a pivotal role in Aston Villa’s ascension into the Premier League’s top four, and ensured he will play Champions League football for the first time next season.

Yet again, though, Martinez saved his best performances for the international arena. He conceded just once in six games as La Albiceleste won the Copa America – his third major trophy since making his international debut in 2021 – with his best performance coming in the quarter-final win over Ecuador, when he again showed off his penalty-saving ability by keeping out two spot-kicks in the shootout.

In 2023-24: 45 goals, six assists. Won Premier League, Club World Cup & UEFA Super Cup.

Haaland could barely have done more to win the 2023 Ballon d’Or and yet still came up just short, so could he get over the hump this time around? The answer is almost certainly ‘no’, as despite his fine goal-scoring record, he has endured some forgettable performances in 2024, most recently in the FA Cup final. He still ended the campaign with a league title after claiming the Premier League Golden Boot, but going out of the Champions League in the quarter-finals is likely to prove costly to his Golden Ball hopes.

That is because of the biggest obstacle that was already in Haaland’s way, which is that he again missed the big summer tournament after Norway failed to qualify for Euro 2024. There was always a chance that if other contenders shone in Germany, then Haaland’s potential heroics might be forgotten come voting time. As it is, they will merely push him further down the final rankings.

In 2023-24: 10 goals, 18 assists. Won Euro 2024.

Barcelona may have endured a trophy-less season packed with yet more off-the-field drama, but the emergence of Yamal as perhaps their best player at the age of 16 has given the Blaugrana hope for the future. The winger set record after record in La Liga, and looks to be the next generational talent to have emerged from La Masia.

His performances for Spain at Euro 2024, meanwhile, introduced the teenager to a wider audience, as he picked up the Young Player of the Tournament prize after providing a tournament-leading four assists as well as a memorable goal in La Roja’s semi-final wino over France that cemented his status as the game’s next superstar.

In 2023-24: 21 goals, 21 assists. Won Bundesliga & DFB-Pokal.

Bayer Leverkusen’s 52-match unbeaten domestic run underpinned what was a truly remarkable season that saw Xabi Alonso’s side celebrate the club’s first-ever Bundesliga title with an invincible campaign before backing that up with a DFB-Pokal triumph. They did, however, miss out on the Europa League after losing out to Atalanta in the final.

Despite that, Ballon d’Or voters will be keen to reward Alonso’s most important players, and few – if any – had better campaigns than Wirtz, whose hat-trick against Werder Bremen in April put the seal on their title win. The playmaker’s form since recovering from a serious knee injury has been superb, and is likely to earn him a £100-million-plus move over the next 12 months or so.

He finished his season with goals that book-ended Germany’s run at Euro 2024, and while he slipped out of the line up during the knockout rounds, he still showed why he should be among the top Ballon d’Or contenders.

In 2023-24: 11 goals, 25 assists. Won Euro 2024 & Copa del Rey.

Williams’ performances in 2023-24 largely went unnoticed outside of Spain, but the Athletic Club winger proved to be one of the most dangerous attacking threats in La Liga, while he saved some of his best performances for the Copa del Rey, as he helped bring the trophy back to Bilbao for the first time in 40 years.

The wideman carried that form into Euro 2024, where he was been one of the most electrifying players in Spain’s mightily impressive side. His displays – which included a fine goal in the final – are likely to earn him a big-money transfer this summer, and could yet push him into the Ballon d’Or top 10 when all is said and done.

In 2023-24: 28 goals, 12 assists. Won Premier League, Club World Cup & UEFA Super Cup.

As Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland missed chunks of the season through injury, Foden stepped up in spectacular fashion for City and enjoyed the best campaign of his already illustrious career to date. He scored two Premier League hat-tricks after the turn of the year, as well as a stunning brace on the final day to seal a fourth-successive domestic title for Pep Guardiola’s side, though his superb strike at Santiago Bernabeu against Real Madrid ended up counting for nothing as City crashed out of the Champions League on penalties in the quarter-finals.

The newly-crowned Premier League Player of the Year didn’t quite carry that form into Euro 2024, however, with Foden’s struggles to make an impact in an England shirt continuing in Germany this summer despite the Three Lions’ run to the final.

In 2023-24: 52 goals, 14 assists.

Kane’s move to Bayern was meant to put him in a spot where he could finally end the wait for a first trophy of his career, but the Bavarians finished the season without any silverware after surrendering the Bundesliga title to Bayer Leverkusen and losing out to Real Madrid in the Champions League semi-final.

Kane did score at a record-breaking rate and averaged more than a goal a game in the league for the deposed champions. However, those exertions took a lot out of the England captain, and he looked laboured at Euro 2024 despite earning a share of the Golden Boot with his three goals.

In 2023-24: 52 goals, 21 assists. Won Ligue 1, Coupe de France & Trophee des Champions.

The saga is over, as we now know that this was Mbappe’s final Ballon d’Or campaign as a Paris Saint-Germain player, with his protracted move to Real Madrid having now been made official. Mbappe’s goals sealed a third-successive Ligue 1 title for the Parisians, but the forward’s dream of bringing European success to Parc des Princes was ended with defeat in the Champions League semi-finals to Borussia Dortmund.

France’s underwhelming performances at Euro 2024 eventually led to further disappointment for Mbappe, as the forward struggled to deal with a broken nose and Didier Deschamps negative tactics before Les Bleus eventually came up short in the semi-finals.

In 2023-24: One goal, 12 assists. Won Champions League, La Liga & Supercopa de Espana.

At 34, Kroos rolled back the years for Real Madrid in what turned out to be his last-ever campaign following his shock decision to retire. That said, his excellent performances only begun to be spoken about by a wider audience after his masterful showings against Bayern Munich in Madrid’s victorious Champions League semi-final.

He backed that up by providing the assist for Madrid’s opener as they secured European glory to go with their domestic title. He was also tempted out of international retirement by Julian Nagelsmann, with the metronomic midfielder putting in superb showings at Euro 2024 before Germany crashed out in the quarter-finals to bring the curtain down on Kroos’ illustrious career.

In 2023-24: 35 goals, eight assists. Won Copa America, Serie A & Supercoppa Italiana.

Lautaro Martinez’s career has been defined by his inability to show up in the biggest matches, and it seemed that narrative was set to continue this past season after his missed penalty in the shootout condemned Inter to a last-16 exit from the Champions League at the hands of Atletico Madrid.

However, that proved to be one of very few dark moments for the Argentine over the past 12 months, as he tore up Serie A to fire a dominant Inter to the Scudetto before finally proving himself for his country in a major tournament, as Lautaro scored a Golden Boot-winning five goals – including the extra-time winner in the final as La Albiceleste retained their crown

In 2023-24: Seven goals, eight assists, 21 clean sheets. Won Euro 2024, Champions League, La Liga & Supercopa de Espana.

One of the unsung heroes of Real Madrid’s season, Carvajal stepped up at big moments throughout the campaign with key goals and assists while also locking down the right side of defence. No more clear was his impact than when he opened the scoring in the Champions League final to help secure a 15th European Cup for Los Blancos.

He carried that form into the international arena, too, as he found the net early on at Euro 2024 for Spain before providing a commanding presence during La Roja’s run to the final. Carvajal;s trophy haul will likely skyrocket him up the Ballon d’Or rankings as a result, but the veteran is certainly deserving of recognition given his memorable 12 months.

In 2023-24: 27 goals, 17 assists. Won Champions League, La Liga & Supercopa de Espana.

The best footballer in the world during the first half of the 2023-24 season, Bellingham took to his new surroundings at Real Madrid like no signing since Cristiano Ronaldo. Not only did he score frequently, but he also netted hugely important goals, too.

The hype around him was tempered somewhat in early 2024, in part due to him missing games through injury and suspension, but he reignited his Golden Ball bid with a tireless performance to help knock Manchester City out of the Champions League before netting his second stoppage-time winner in El Clasico of the season.

He went on to score two crucial goals for England at Euro 2024, including his last-gasp overhead-kick against Slovakia to keep the Three Lions’ tournament alive in the last 16. Beating Spain in the final would surely have led to a first Golden Ball for Bellingham, but he will likely just have to make do with a place on the podium now after Gareth Southgate’s side cam up short in Berlin.

In 2023-24: 26 goals, 12 assists. Won Champions League, La Liga & Supercopa de Espana.

Injury meant that Vinicius did not got off to the fast start many might have expected when Karim Benzema left Real Madrid, but after finally shaking off his fitness issues, the winger was back to his best – and them some. He netted a hat-trick to help beat Barcelona in the final of the Spanish Super Cup, while he was in fine goal-scoring form in La Liga as Carlo Ancelotti’s side secured the title at home. Perhaps most notably, though, he was the outstanding player in both legs of Madrid’s Champions League semi-final win over Bayern Munich, and he went on to light up Wembley in the final by scoring the second goal in the win over Borussia Dortmund.

His summer, however, did not go to plan. Despite scoring twice against Paraguay in the Copa America group stages, Vinicius then picked up a suspension that ruled him out of the Selecao’s quarter-final against Uruguay, and he could only watch from the stands as his compatriots crashed out on penalties. That looks to have opened the door, then, for someone else to claim the Ballon d’Or…

In 2023-24: 12 goals, 15 assists. Won Euro 2024, Premier League, Club World Cup & UEFA Super Cup.

Until the FA Cup final, it had been over a year since Rodri last tasted defeat inside 90 minutes for Man City, and little illustrated his importance to the team more than the fact that they lost each of the first three Premier League games that he missed in 2023-24.

He remains the best defensive midfielder in the world right now, and the fact that the Spain international has also developed a habit of popping up with crucial goals and assists – including the strike which sealed the Premier League title for City – means he is catching the eyes of even more fans, and Ballon d’Or voters.

He may have been forced off at half-time in the Euro 2024 final, but his performances leading into that game still proved enough for him to claim the Player of the Tournament prize. Picking up that award may well prove enough to tip him over the edge when it comes to claiming the Ballon d’Or, too….Viêw _More