Live Blog
- Kostas Lianos, Digital Sports Reporter
- Updated: 17:24, 28 Oct 2024
INDIVIDUAL prizes don't get immoderate bigger than the Ballon d'Or - and we'll person a brand-new victor TONIGHT!
And determination has already been immoderate large play - with reports Real Madrid and Vinicius Jr are to BOYCOTT the ceremonial aft the victor was leaked.
Real stars Vini Jr and Jude Bellingham were seen arsenic favourites to scoop the aureate grant successful Paris, but it has been leaked a Premier League prima is the winner.
The rankings countdown is underway NOW arsenic the players find retired their destiny for this year's Ballon d'Or.
- Start time: 7pm GMT
- FREE unrecorded stream: L'Equipe's authoritative YouTube channel
- Explainer: Ballon d'Or 2024 results successful FULL
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Follow each the latest with our unrecorded blog below...
Number 17
Federico Valverde (Real Madrid)
A stunning play for the versatile midfielder who helped Real Madrid predominate LaLiga and seal their 15th Champions League title.
Number 18
Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa)
Considered by galore arsenic the champion goalkeeper successful the world, Emi Martinez is ranked 18th aft helping Aston Villa decorativeness successful the Premier League's apical 4 and qualifying for the Champions League for the archetypal clip successful their history.
Also won the Copa America with Argentina, marking the Albiceleste's 2nd consecutive triumph successful the competition.
Number 19
Martin Odegaard (Arsenal)
Arsenal's skipper breaks into the Top 20 aft a stunning run that astir saw the Gunners ending their 20 (now 21)-year tally without a Premier League title.
Number 20
Hakan Calhanoglu (Inter Milan)
Helped Inter Milan triumph the Serie A past play and makes the Ballon d'Or's apical 20.
Number 21
Bukayo Saka (Arsenal)
Arsenal's prima winger that transformed the Gunners' onslaught and astir led them to the Premier League rubric the past 2 seasons.
The England planetary besides stood retired for the Three Lions astatine Euro 2024 and helped Gareth Southgate's broadside scope the final.
Number 22
Antonio Rudiger (Real Madrid)
Inspired tremendous information astatine the backmost and helped Real Madrid triumph LaLiga arsenic good arsenic their grounds 15th Champions League title.
Saliba and Stones ranked
Two of the Premier League's champion defenders person recovered retired their Ballon d'Or ranking.
Arsenal's William Saliba astatine No24 and Manchester CIty's Ruben Dias astatine No23.
Saliba is considered by galore arsenic the Gunners' champion centre-back, whereas Dias is simply a cardinal origin down Man City's caller occurrence some successful the Prem and the Champions League.
Number 23
Ruben Dias (Manchester City)
Many spot him arsenic Manchester City's champion defender arsenic helium is stone solid, particularly adjacent to John Stones, and a cardinal crushed down Manchester City's 4th consecutive Premier League rubric triumph.
Number 24
William Saliba (Arsenal)
Many see him the champion defender successful the satellite arsenic helium formed a stunning concern with Gabriel Magalhaes astatine centre-back and inspired tremendous assurance successful beforehand of goal.
Rice and Palmer get their rankings
Premier League standouts Declan Rice and Cole Palmer person been fixed their Ballon d'Or rankings.
Arsenal's Rice finished successful 26th up of Chelsea's Palmer successful 25th.
Both players enjoyed a stunning run past word which included England reaching the Euro 2024 final, wherever Palmer had equalised for the Three Lions.
Number 25
Cole Palmer (Chelsea)
An implicit revelation astatine Chelsea some this play and past term.
Also scored the equaliser for England against Spain successful the Euro 2024 final.
Number 26
Declan Rice (Arsenal)
Transformed Arsenal's midfield connected his debut play astatine the Emirates and helped England scope the Euro 2024 last wherever they mislaid to Spain.
Number 27
Vitinha (Paris Saint-Germain)
Won the Double with Paris Saint-Germain past play arsenic good arsenic his 2nd consecutive French title.
Number 28
Alejandro Grimaldo (Bayer Leverkusen)
Grimaldo proved to beryllium 1 of Xabi Alonso's biggest stars that led to Bayer Leverkusen's historical and undefeated Bundesliga triumph.
Number 29
Mats Hummels (Borussia Dortmund past play - Roma this season)
Hummels was 1 of the driving forces that helped Borussia Dortmund scope the Champions League last wherever they mislaid to Real Madrid past season.
Number 29
Artem Dovbyk (Girona past play - Roma this season)
Dovbyk stood retired past play with Girona helping them execute a astonishment Champions League qualification.
How galore Brazilians person won the Ballon d'Or?
For a state truthful steeped successful footballing history, Brazil has a amazingly tiny fig of Ballon d'Or wins.
The state has five, the aforesaid fig arsenic World Cup victories to its name, though they were lone eligible from 1995 - and lone 2007 if they plied their commercialized extracurricular Europe.
That means that successful his prime, Pele, pictured beneath with Franz Beckenbauer successful 2003, was ne'er successful contention.
How are the awards decided?
The awards are voted for by a assemblage of journalists from each of the apical 100 countries successful the Fifa men's satellite ranking.
Each juror selects 10 players successful descending bid of merit from the database of nominees.
Those 10 players are awarded 15, 12, 10, eight, seven, five, three, 2 and 1 constituent respectively.
The subordinate with the astir points is awarded the Ballon d'Or.
A afloat database of the rankings - from 30th to 2nd - volition travel the announcement of the winner.
Vinicius Jr's exceptional season
Vinicius Jr, 24, enjoyed an inspired 2023-24 season, starring Real Madrid to a La Liga-Champions League double, scoring successful the Champions League last - a 2-0 triumph implicit Borussia Dortmund - and being named the competition's champion player.
Recap - what's happened?
Real Madrid guardant Vinicius Jr has reportedly refused to be tonight's Ballon d'Or ceremonial successful Paris, arsenic helium believes the effect is simply a foregone conclusion.
Journalist Fabrizio Romano has reported nary subordinate nor subordinate of the coaching unit oregon absorption from Real Madrid volition beryllium be the glitzy ceremony,
Posting connected X, Romano shared a station saying: 'BREAKING: Vinicius Jr volition NOT question to Paris arsenic Real Madrid cognize helium volition NOT triumph the Ballon d’Or.
"No 1 from Real Madrid volition be the ceremony. No Florentino Pérez, nary Vini Jr, no Carlo Ancelotti, no Jude Bellingham."
This daze quality comes aft it was reportedly leaked that the victor of football's astir glamorous idiosyncratic prize is Man City's Rodri, who is presently retired of the archetypal squad owed to an injury.
Who should win?
That'll beryllium Real Madrid's Vinicius Jr - obviously. It'll beryllium a large snub to the Brazilian if helium misses retired (he is reportedly not attending tonight's ceremony).
Spain's midfielder Aitana Bonmati is wide expected to triumph successful the women's category.
Who volition triumph ... who should win?
The astute wealth is connected Man City's Rodri to assistance the Ballon d'Or successful Paris contiguous - but who should triumph it?
No Messi oregon Ronaldo
It is the archetypal clip since 2003 that eight-time victor Messi - pictured beneath successful 2023 and 2013 - and five-time victor Cristiano Ronaldo person not been nominated.
Who are the nominees for the Ballon d'Or awards?
There are 30 nominees successful some the men's and women's category.
In the men's category, six England players - skipper Harry Kane, midfielders Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Declan Rice, and forwards Bukayo Saka and Cole Palmer - person been nominated.
England-based players Ruben Dias, Emiliano Martinez, Martin Odegaard and William Saliba are besides nominated.
When is the 2024 Ballon d'Or ceremony?
The ceremonial takes spot connected Monday, 28 October astatine the Theatre du Chatelet successful Paris astatine 19:45 tonight.