Ballon d’Or: Predicting the Next 5 Winners, From Mbappe to Bellingham

• The 2023 Ballon d'Or nominees are out, and Lionel Messi and Erling Haaland are favourites
• Football is entering a new era as the Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi era comes to an end
• Sports Brief looks at footballers who could win the award in the next five years

The 2023 Ballon d'Or nominees were recently announced, and it got fans talking about who will be the next recipient of the most prestigious prize in men's football. Karim Benzema is the current holder of the trophy, but there will be a new winner in 2023.

Lionel Messi and Erling Haaland will battle it out for the 2023 award, and we'll know who will take the award home on October 30.

Winning the Ballon d'Or award is, without a doubt, the pinnacle of any individual football career. Being voted as the best player in the world is almost incomparable.

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The Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi era is over, and their dominance will never be matched. We're now entering a new era with newer faces starting to assert their dominance in football. Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland are the obvious names, but there are a few players who could be in contention.

For this reason, Sports Brief has attempted to predict the next five Ballon d'Or winners starting from 2024.

Next 5 Ballon d'Or winners

2024 - Erling Haaland

Haaland's first season in England was phenomenal. The Norwegian scored 52 goals in 53 appearances in the 2022/23 season and won the treble, per Transfermarkt. This season, he's already had another superb start with six goals in four Premier League games. He might lose out to Messi this year, but if he stays healthy for the rest of this season, it is his to lose. Paris Saint-Germain's Kylian Mbappe will definitely offer some competition, but the Manchester City striker could deny the Frenchman.

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2025 - Kylian Mbappe

The PSG superstar was expected to join Real Madrid in the summer transfer window, but he was adamant about staying in the French capital. Mbappe has won a World Cup already, and the only things missing on his resume are a Ballon d'Or and a Champions League trophy. He's only 24 and has broken many records in France and the World Cup. If he delivers a Champions League title at PSG, he will surely take home the award in 2025. Only two players from Ligue 1 have won the Ballon d'Or, per 90min.

2026 - Kylian Mbappe

Mbappe could win again in 2026. France probably have the best squad in the world, and in 2026, they'll be the favourites to win the World Cup in the USA, Mexico, and Canada. Haaland's Norway have struggled to qualify for international competitions, and it is hard to see him winning the European Championships or the World Cup. Therefore, Mbappe has a good chance of winning.

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2027 - Jude Bellingham

Bellingham has made a dream start to his career at Real Madrid and has already become a fan favourite at the Santiago Bernabeu. The Spanish giants have produced several winners of the award, and the last one to win it was Karim Benzema just last year. Bellingham is only 20 and will be 24 in 2027. He could be their best player then, and predicting a Ballon d'Or win is not far-fetched.

2028 - Vinicius Junior

Vinicius Jr. is undoubtedly a top 10 player in the world right now. One can make a valid argument that he is the best player at Real Madrid at the moment. Mbappe and Haaland are probably a level higher compared to the Brazilian, but he'll slowly catch up to them in the next few years.

2023 Ballon d'Or rankings

Sports Brief earlier reported on the final Ballon d'Or rankings after the nominees were revealed.

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The nominees were revealed on September 6, with Messi headlining the list of 30 footballers who shone and exceeded expectations last season.

Messi is top of the rankings and is followed by Erling Haaland. Kevin De Bruyne is third, while his teammate Rodri rounds up the top four.