Ballon d'Or Sweepstakes: 3 Rookie Cards of Soccer Players Who Could Win It
The Ballon d'Or -- the highest individual honor a soccer player can be bestowed -- will be awarded in Paris on Oct. 28.
In the meantime, speculation is growing (some reports say Real Madrid's Brazilian striker Vini Jr. is the clear favorite) over which male and female soccer player will win the prize.
Originally awarded only to male players from Europe (known as the European Footballer of the Year award at the time), the Ballon d'Or was expanded in 1995 to include all players of any origin that have been active at European clubs.
They're all here!
— Ballon d'Or (@ballondor) September 4, 2024
But... who should win it? #ballondor pic.twitter.com/SrkHBrJtuI
Won a record eight times by Lionel Messi, this year's list of nominees does not include the Argentine legend or his rival Cristiano Ronaldo for the first time since 2003. Messi is currently at Inter Miami in MLS and Ronaldo at Al Nassr in the Saudi Pro League.
On the women's side, the list includes such notables as Barcelona's Aitana Bonmati and USWNT stars Alyssa Naeher, Trinity Rodman, Lindsay Horan, Mallory Swanson and Sophia Smith. Unlike the men, the prize on the women's side can be awarded to players currently on the roster of any club in the world.
Here's a look at three favorites for the award on the men's side and the rookie cards collectors should chase:
Vini Jr. (Real Madrid)
It certainly helps to be a star on a team that won the Champions League last season. That's the case of why Vini Jr. is among the favorites to win the award.
While Vini Jr. has many rookie cards, collectors like his 2018-19 Donruss Optic with the iconic "Rated Rookie" logo to go with it.
If you prefer to see Vini Jr. in his Brazil kit, collectors should consider his 2017 O Globo Brazil Promessas card.
Rodri (Manchester City)
There may be no player in the world at the moment who is more important to any team than Spanish midfielder Rodri. In fact, Man City can never really lose with Rodri in the lineup. Not only successful at club level, he also helped Spain win the Euros this past summer.
Rodri has been playing professionally since 2015, a few years before the soccer card market became a thing. Nonetheless, his 2018 Panini Treble "New Sensations" -- a tough card to find -- is the one most collectors want.
However, an injury this past Sunday against Premier League rivals Arsenal could sideline him for months, something that could impact both his chances at this award and his card prices.
Erling Haaland (Manchester City)
Man City's scoring machine is one of the best strikers in the world. He should have won the award in 2023, but could be redeemed should he take it this year.
Haaland has a few rookie cards to choose from. Most like to chase his 2019-20 Topps Chrome Champions League appearance. Nonetheless, others don't consider any card of him in a Borussia Dortmund uniform to be a rookie card.
As a result, Haaland's 2019-20 Topps Finest Champions League card -- with him in a Red Bull Salzberg jersey -- is the one others like to buy.
Clemente Lisi is a writer and editor with nearly three decades of experience. You can follow him at x.com/ClementeLisi.