Ballon d’Or 2023: Manchester United and Manchester City Stars Nominated Alongside Arsenal and Liverpool Talents
Erling Haaland is expected to be one of the top contenders for the annual Ballon d’Or award in 2023.
Eight players based in Manchester have been nominated for the 2023 Ballon d’Or, reflecting the strong footballing talent in the city.
Manchester City, who secured a treble during the season, dominate the nominations with seven players making the shortlist. Among them, Erling Haaland is considered a favorite for the award.
Kevin De Bruyne and Rodri are also expected to perform well in the rankings. Josko Gvardiol, Ruben Dias, Bernardo Silva, and Julian Alvarez are additional Manchester City players in contention. The treble-winning captain, Ilkay Gundogan, who moved to Barcelona last summer, is also nominated.
Manchester United has just one nominee, which is Andre Onana. The goalkeeper earned his place on the list due to his impressive performances for Inter Milan, helping them reach the Champions League final. Some were surprised that Marcus Rashford did not make the cut, despite his impressive 30-goal tally in the 2022/23 season.
The Ballon d’Or recognizes the best individual player over the past season, marking a shift from its previous calendar year-based format. Therefore, it’s not surprising to see two Arsenal players on the list, with Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard being nominated. Other nominees include Mohamed Salah and Emiliano Martinez, with Martinez’s selection partially based on his World Cup performances last year. Notably, Lionel Messi is part of the 30-man group and is hoping to secure his eighth Ballon d’Or in his career, while his long-time rival Cristiano Ronaldo has not been named on the shortlist for the first time in 20 years.
Here is the full list of nominees for the 2023 Ballon d’Or:
- Josko Gvardiol (RB Leipzig and Manchester City)
- Andre Onana (Inter Milan and Manchester United)
- Karim Benzema (Real Madrid and Al-Ittihad)
- Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
- Jamal Musiala (Bayern Munich)
- Bukayo Saka (Arsenal)
- Randal Kolo Muani (Eintracht Frankfurt and Paris Saint-Germain)
- Jude Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid)
- Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City)
- Bernardo Silva (Manchester City)
- Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (Napoli)
- Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa)
- Ruben Dias (Manchester City)
- Nicolo Barella (Inter Milan)
- Erling Haaland (Manchester City)
- Martin Odegaard (Arsenal)
- Ilkay Gundogan (Manchester City and Barcelona)
- Yassine Bounou (Sevilla and Al-Hilal)
- Julian Alvarez (Manchester City)
- Vinicius Jr (Real Madrid)
- Rodri (Manchester City)
- Lionel Messi (Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Miami)
- Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid)
- Lautaro Martinez (Inter Milan)
- Robert Lewandowski (Barcelona)
- Kim Min-jae (Napoli and Bayern Munich)
- Luka Modric (Real Madrid)
- Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain)
- Victor Osimhen (Napoli)
- Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur and Bayern Munich)
Ballon d’Or 2023: Manchester United and Manchester City Stars Nominated Alongside Arsenal and Liverpool Talents
