Messi, Haaland and Bonmati Lead Ballon d’Or Nominee Shortlists

The Argentina star could win a record eighth award while the women’s honor will feature a first-time winner.

Lionel Messi is one step closer to winning a record eighth Ballon d’Or award after being named to the nominee shortlist.

French magazine France Football released the 30-player list for the both the men’s and women’s award Wednesday ahead of the Oct. 30 ceremony where the winners will be announced. 

After captaining Argentina to a World Cup title in Qatar, Messi is considered one of the heavy favorites to win the award, given to the world’s best player as voted by a large jury of international journalists. Messi also became the most decorated soccer player in history when he won the Leagues Cup with Inter Miami, giving him 44 trophies for club and country. 

Messi has won more Ballon d”Or awards than any player in soccer history.  :: IMAGO/agefotostock

Manchester City star Erling Haaland is also in the running after breaking the Premier League single-season goalscoring record with 36 goals in his first season. Cristiano Ronaldo, who sits second on the all-time Ballon d’Or list with five trophies, was omitted in a year when he made a blockbuster move to Saudi Arabia.

Aitana Bonmatí is widely expected to win her first Ballon d’Or Féminin award after winning the Women’s Champions League with Barcelona and the Women’s World Cup with Spain, where she was named tournament MVP. The women’s award will have a first-time winner after previous honorees Ada Hegerberg, Megan Rapinoe and Alexia Putellas were left off the shortlist. 

In all, Manchester City led the way with seven players from its treble-winning team on the shortlist while Barcelona Femení earned six spots. Sophia Smith was the only American international to make either list after netting 14 NWSL goals with the Portland Thorns last season and leading the league in scoring so far this season.

Here are the shortlists:

Men’s Ballon d’Or Nominees

Julian Alvarez (Man City)

Nicolo Barella (Inter Milan)

Jude Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund/Real Madrid)

Karim Benzema (Real Madrid/ Al-Ittihad)

Yassine Bounou (Sevilla/Al Hilal)

Kevin De Bruyne (Man City)

Ruben Dias (Man City)

Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid)

Ilkay Gundogan (Man City/Barcelona)

Josko Gvardiol (RB Leipzig/Man City)

Erling Haaland (Man City)

Vinicius Jr (Real Madrid)

Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur/Bayern Munich)

Randal Kolo Muani (Eintracht Frankfurt/PSG)

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (Napoli)

Robert Lewandowski (Barcelona)

Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa)

Lautaro Martinez (Inter Milan)

Kylian Mbappe (PSG)

Lionel Messi (PSG/Inter Miami)

Kim Min-Jae (Napoli/Bayern Munich)

Luka Modric (Real Madrid)

Jamal Musiala (Bayern Munich)

Martin Odegaard (Arsenal)

Andre Onana (Inter Milan/Man United)

Victor Osimhen (Napoli)

Rodri (Man City)

Bukayo Saka (Arsenal)

Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)

Bernardo Silva (Man City)

Ballon d’Or Féminin Nominees

Aitana Bonmati (Barcelona)

Millie Bright (Chelsea)

Linda Caicedo (Real Madrid)

Rachel Daly (Aston Villa)

Debinha (Kansas City)

Kadidiatou Diani (Lyon)

Mary Earps (Man United)

Patricia Guijarro (Barcelona)

Yui Hasegawa (Man City)

Amanda Ilestedt (PSG/Arsenal)

Sam Kerr (Chelsea)

Mapi Leon (Barcelona)

Katie Mccabe (Arsenal)

Hinata Miyazawa (Mynavi Sendai/Man United)

Lena Oberdorf (Wolfsburg)

Asisat Oshoala (Barcelona)

Ewa Pajor (Wolfsburg)

Salma Paralluelo (Barcelona)

Alexandra Popp (Wolfsburg)

Olga Ramona (Real Madrid)

Hayley Raso (Man City/Real Madrid)

Alba Redondo (Levante)

Guro Reiten (Chelsea)

Wendie Renard (Lyon)

Fridolina Rolfo (Barcelona)

Jill Roord (Wolfsburg/Man City)

Khadija Shaw (Man City)

Sophia Smith (Portland Thorns)

Georgia Stanway (Bayern Munich)

Daphne Van Domselaar (Twente/Aston Villa)