When asked who he thought will compete for the 2024 Ballon d’Or, Lionel Messi passed over Jude Bellingham.
Messi won the trophy for the record seventh time last year, after guiding Argentina to victory in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Messi and his great adversary Cristiano Ronaldo have dominated the Ballon d’Or for the past 15 years, with the Portuguese winning it five times.
However, with Ronaldo currently playing in the Saudi Pro League with Al Nassr and Messi in the MLS with Inter Miami, it is commonly assumed that the honor will be given to another player this year.
England’s Jude Bellingham is one of the favourites to win the honor, having had a fantastic debut season at Real Madrid.
He scored 23 goals in 42 games, helping the Spanish club win both the Champions League and La Liga.
Vinicius Jr and Toni Kroos, his club colleagues, are also among the favourites for the Ballon d’Or, as is Kylian Mbappe, who will join Real Madrid on a free transfer from PSG this summer.
However, former Barcelona great Messi may be surprised if Bellingham wins.
Messi, who won the Ballon d’Or last year, snubbed the former Borussia Dortmund star while predicting the 2024 honor.
Messi stated that [Erling] Haaland, [Kylian] Mbappe, Vinicius, and many more young players would be able to fight for the Ballon d’Or in the coming years.
“I also believe that Lamine Yamal, who is still very young and plays for Barcelona, will play an important role and battle for it in the future.”
