Ballon d’Or rankings: Incredible series of surprises!

For many observers, the 2023 Ballon d’Or podium is already known. While the coronation of Lionel Messi, thanks to Argentina’s coronation at the World Cup, is no longer in doubt, Erling Haaland, author of a stratospheric season with Manchester City, and Kylian Mbappé, who inevitably left his mark on the spirits during the Qatari World Cup, are expected to accompany the Argentinian on the podium.

The presence of the Norwegian is an almost certainty. That of the PSG striker is not at all assured. Several players could be preferred, notably among the Citizens where Kevin de Bruyne and Rodri have impressed. Above all, the latest Ballon d’Or ballots call for caution. Since his fourth place in 2018 thanks to the world champion title won by the Blues in Russia, the Frenchman has had one series of disappointments.

While some imagine him as the heir to Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi, the former Monegasque has never done better than this fourth place and has therefore never been shown on the Ballon d’Or podium. Worse, he has never signed a Top 5 in the last four years. In 2019 and 2022, he had to settle for sixth place, and in 2021, he even fell back to 9^e rank. The fault first of all is the disappointments experienced by PSG in the Champions League.

A new disavowal would be terrible for PSG

And when in 2020, the capital club qualified for the final, the Ballon d’Or was canceled due to the Covid crisis. And if the following year, the Parisians pushed to the semi-final, this time it was the Blues who experienced a resounding failure in the round of 16 of the Euro, their star striker also missing the decisive penalty against Switzerland.

The 2023 Ballon d’Or will inevitably be full of lessons for Kylian Mbappé. A new disavowal would undoubtedly convince him even more of the need to leave PSG, a goal in a Classico undoubtedly having more weight in the minds of voters than in the Classico.