Ranked: The chances of the 30 nominees winning the 2019 Ballon d’Or
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The 30-man shortlist for the 2019 Balon d’Or has been announced, and one of the 30 players on that list will be given the prestigious annual individual honour by France Football magazine on Monday evening. We’ve taken a look through the entire shortlist and have ranked the chance, in our opinion, of each player winning the award from the least likely (30th) to the most likely (1st).
30. Hugo Lloris
He’s currently out with a bad injury but Hugo Lloris made some big saves last season as Spurs made it to the Champions League final. However, he’s not even the best goalkeeper nominated so the chances of him winning are slim!
29. Marquinhos
Marquinhos had a very good year with PSG as they dominated French football yet again. He also played a part in Brazil’s Copa America win but it’s unlikely that he’ll feature near the top of the voting.
28. Karim Benzema
Real Madrid had a relatively poor season but even so, Karim Benzema made the 30-man shortlist but he’s not likely to get close to winning.
27. Joao Felix
Joao Felix’s rise to stardom has been rapid. He was Benfica’s standout player and he’s now a major part of both Atletico Madrid and Portugal’s plans. He’s got a bright future ahead of him but this won’t be his Ballon d’Or year.
26. Kalidou Koulibaly
Napoli’s Kalidou Koulibaly has established himself as one of the best defenders in the world and looks certain to get a big-money move sooner rather than later.
25. Donny van de Beek
Donny van de Beek was one of the many Ajax stars who stood out as they won the Dutch league title and got to within seconds of the Champions League final.
24. Heung-min Son
Heung-min Son was a major part of the Spurs team that got to the Champions League final as he scored some hugely important goals.
23. Marc-Andre ter Stegen
Marc-Andre ter Stegen was in great form all season for Barcelona with many now arguing that he should be the German number one instead of Manuel Neuer.
22. Trent Alexander-Arnold
Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold broke a world record for assists in the Premier League and, of course, helped the Reds win the Champions League.
21. Dusan Tadic
Dusan Tadic had a great year with Ajax, one which will have Southampton fans wondering why he didn’t perform so well at St Mary’s!
20. Antoine Griezmann
Antoine Griezmann’s came third in the voting for the 2018 Ballon d’Or. He’s since moved to Barcelona and is looking to make a name for himself at the Camp Nou.
19. Riyad Mahrez
Riyad Mahrez wasn’t always a regular for Man City, but he still popped up with some big goals. He also captained Algeria to success at the Africa Cup of Nations, scoring a memorable 95th-minute winner in the semi-final along the way
18. Georginio Wijnaldum
Georginio Wijnaldum’s two goals against Barcelona will live long in the memory of Liverpool fans. He’s also been in excellent form for the Dutch national team too.
17. Frenkie de Jong
Frenkie de Jong had an excellent season with Ajax, one that earned him a big-money move to Barcelona.
16. Kevin De Bruyne
Kevin De Bruyne is considered by many to be the best player in the Premier League. However, injuries curtailed his 2019 a fair bit, which may knock him out of the running
15. Robert Lewandowski
Robert Lewandowski is arguably the best striker in the world so it’s no surprise to see him nominated.
14 . Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang helped Arsenal get to the Europa League final and was the joint top-scorer in the Premier League.
13. Matthijs de Ligt
Matthijs de Ligt’s performances as Ajax’s captain were inspiring, and they earned him a move to Juventus.
12. Sergio Aguero
The Man City star was in excellent goalscoring form last season as City won the historic domestic treble, but a lack of European success often counts against players in this vote.
11. Roberto Firmino
Roberto Firmino had an excellent season as Liverpool won the Champions League whilst he also helped Brazil to win the Copa America.
10. Bernardo Silva
Bernardo Silva was one of Man City’s best player in their amazing season, whilst he also did well for Portugal in the Nations League as they became the inaugural winners of the competition.
9. Alisson
He won the Premier League Golden Gloves, the Champions League, the Copa America and he was voted as the best goalkeeper in the world at the FIFA Best Awards. Alisson looks certain to finish high in the voting.
8. Kylian Mbappe
Kylian Mbappe isn’t just one of the best young forwards in the world, he’s simply one of the best players on the planet.
7. Raheem Sterling
Raheem Sterling’s form at Man City in 2019 was outstanding. He’s now established himself as one of the world’s best forwards.
6. Eden Hazard
Eden Hazard signed off from Chelsea by winning the Europa League and scoring in the final. He’s now made the move to Real Madrid.
5. Mohamed Salah
Mohamed Salah put the pain of the 2018 Champions League final behind him to score in the 2019 final as Liverpool beat Spurs 2-0. He ended last season as the joint-top scorer in the Premier League too.
4. Sadio Mane
Having been voted in the top five in the world at the recent FIFA Best awards, with none other than Lionel Messi selecting him as the world’s best player, Mane should rank highly in the Ballon d’Or voting.
3. Cristiano Ronaldo
He’s already a five-time Ballon d’Or winner and whilst he’s not a favourite to win this year, Cristiano Ronaldo will always receive some votes.
2. Lionel Messi
Messi is a five-time winner of the Ballon d’Or and he has every chance of adding a sixth trophy to his collection later this year.
1. Virgil van Dijk
Virgil van Dijk is the favourite to win the award and after his impressive season for Liverpool, it’s easy to see why. It’s been over a decade since a defender last won the Ballon d’Or, but we’re tipping Van Dijk to change that.