Jude Bellingham faces stiff competition for Ballon d’Or glory.
England’s Jude Bellingham is among the nominees for the prestigious Ballon d’Or award, but he’ll need to outshine his Real Madrid teammate Vinicius Junior and Manchester City’s Rodri to claim the title.
Bellingham’s impressive debut season at the Bernabeu, which included two stoppage-time El Clasico winners, has put him in contention for the award.
However, Vinicius Junior’s hat-trick in the Spanish Super Cup final and his starring role in Real’s Champions League triumph may give him the edge.
Rodri, who was named ‘Player of the Tournament’ at Euro 2024, is also a strong contender, along with his Manchester City teammate Erling Haaland, who scored 38 goals last season.
Read Also: Argentina Warns Fans To Avoid Offensive Chants or Face FIFA Sanctions
The nominees list features a record number of England internationals, including Harry Kane, Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, and Cole Palmer.
Other notable nominees include Kylian Mbappe, Lautaro Martinez, and Barcelona’s teenage sensation Lamine Yamal, who becomes the youngest player ever to be nominated for the award.
BALLON D’OR NOMINATIONS 2024
Jude Bellingham – Real Madrid
Ruben Dias – Manchester City
Phil Foden – Manchester City
Federico Valverde – Real Madrid
Emiliano Martinez – Aston Villa
Erling Haaland – Manchester City
Nico Williams – Athletic Bilbao
Granit Xhaka – Bayer Leverkusen
Artem Dovbyk – AS Roma
Toni Kroos – Real Madrid (retired)
Vinicius Jr. – Real Madrid
Dani Olmo – Barcelona
Florian Wirtz – Bayer Leverkusen
Martin Odegaard – Arsenal
Mats Hummels – Borussia Dortmund
Rodri – Manchester City
Harry Kane – Bayern Munich
Declan Rice – Arsenal
Vitinha – Paris Saint-Germain
Cole Palmer – Chelsea
Dani Carvajal – Real Madrid
Lamine Yamal – Barcelona
Bukayo Saka – Arsenal
Hakan Calhanoglu – Inter Milan
William Saliba – Arsenal
Kylian Mbappe – Real Madrid
Lautaro Martinez – Inter Milan
Ademola Lookman – Atalanta
Antonio Rudiger – Real Madrid
Alejandro Grimaldo – Bayer Leverkusen
For the first time since 2003, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are not among the nominees. The winner of the Ballon d’Or will be announced later this year.
Ballon d’Or Nominees: Bellingham, Vinicius Junior, And Rodri In The Running
