AYV News, September 6, 2024

Antonio Rudiger has been nominated for 2024 Men’s Ballon d’Or. Rüdiger plays for Real Madrid. The 31-year-old centre-back was a consistent performer for club and country over the last year. A rock at the heart of the Germany defence, he played every minute of their summer tournament, and that was after a gruelling but successful year as a leader in the heart of Real Madrid’s back line.

The shortlist for world football’s most prestigious individual award has been revealed ahead of the ceremony in Paris on October 28.

The Ballon d’Or. Love it or loathe it, it’s the award every footballer in the world dreams of one day winning. And now, after a memorable 2023-24 campaign, the shortlist of nominees for the 2024 Golden Ball has been announced.

There are a host of top names vying to claim the prize that Lionel Messi took home for the eighth time in 2023, with performances not only at club level, but also at the various major tournaments that took place over the past 12 months having been taken into account when selecting this year’s list of potential winners.

Who will take home the prize? We will have to wait until the ceremony in Paris on Monday, October 28to find out, but for now, here are the players who have been shortlisted for football’s ultimate individual honour.