The favourites to win the Ballon d'Or 2024 - ranked
Lionel Messi's record-extending eighth Ballon d'Or success came as a surprise to absolutely nobody in the footballing world. The legendary Argentine had led his country to the 2022 World Cup after all, where he arguably cemented his place as the greatest footballer to have ever played the game. Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe were his nearest challengers in 2023, both enjoying exceptional years of their own. Haaland scored 54 goals in all competitions during the eligibility period, while Mbappe led France to back-to-back appearances in the World Cup final, sensationally scoring a hat-trick against Argentina (albeit in an eventual losing effort) to scoop the Golden Boot. All three are expected to be in contention once more in 2024, despite Messi's move to Inter Miami at club level, but there's plenty of other players who may feel they are in with a chance of being crowned the best player in the world. Here's 90min's favourites for the award. 15. Lionel Messi (...