Ballon d’Or 2024 LIVE – Vinicius Junior battles Rodri, Jude Bellingham for award; Aitana Bonmati women’s favourite

A montage of the Spaniard’s goals for Manchester City last season.

Rumours are rife that Real Madrid could avoid the ceremony with a suggestion their Brazilian forward will NOT win the 2024 Ballon d’Or.

TNT Sports and Eurosport will run a dedicated live blog throughout the ceremony on Monday, October 28.

Joao Felix is the latest player to back Real Madrid winger Vinicius Junior to scoop the Ballon d’Or award on Monday.

The Brazilian is the favourite to take the crown for the first time after starring for Los Blancos during a 2023/24 season that yielded a La Liga title and a 15th UEFA Champions League.

And asked by TNT Sports who he thought would win this year’s Ballon d’Or, Felix was in no doubt.

The 2024 Ballon d’Or running order

16:50 GMT – Ranking reveal commences counting down from No.30

17.50 GMT – Red carpet: the big names begin to arrive

19.45 GMT – The Ceremony

A reminder of the 30 names in the running for tonight’s main award.

Neymar is convinced his compatriot Vinicius Junior will win the 2024 Ballon d’Or this evening.

Check out what the former Barcelona and PSG star had to say about the Real Madrid ace in the video below.

A nice montage of some big names to have both graced the Games and lifted arguably football’s biggest individual prize.

It’s not Ballon d’Or-related but worthy of note – The Red Devils have today sacked manager Erik ten Hag.

Full details via our story below.

TNT Sports and Eurosport will run a dedicated live blog throughout the ceremony on Monday, October 28.

The Chicago Red Stars forward was already a star in her home country but will go down in USWNT history following her second half strike for Emma Hayes’ side.

Swanson scored four goals throughout the tournament, with her achievements at the Games making her a front runner to become the first American to win the Ballon d’Or Feminin since Megan Rapinoe in 2019.

Graham Hansen’s Norway team-mate Ada Hegerberg has gone through hell and back to reach the top of the game again, having suffered an ACL injury in 2020, followed by a stress fracture. 

But the winner of the inaugural Ballon d’Or Feminin in 2018 has won plenty more admirers for her fightback, and she is flying again now.

Sticking with Barcelona, Caroline Graham Hansen could be Bonmati’s greatest challenger for the Ballon d’Or award.

The Norway international led the Liga F charts last season, scoring 21 goals and setting up another 19, while she also went into the international break as the joint leader for this season on assists, with four.

Graham Hansen is an integral part of the Barca set-up and was named in the UEFA’s best XI for the Women’s Champions League last season.

The Barcelona playmaker has once again had an outstanding year since picking up her first Ballon d’Or Feminin award in 2023.

The 2023 winner Aitana Bonmati is among the favourites, while her Barcelona team-mates Caroline Graham Hansen and Alexia Putellas could feature.

The likes of Ada Hegerberg, Marie-Antoinette Katoto and Olympic champion Mallory Swanson will also fancy their chances.

Gerardo Martino has claimed Lionel Messi is still the world’s best player, despite not being nominated for this year’s Ballon d’Or.

The Argentine coach – currently at Inter Miami – is therefore tipping Vinicius Junior to win this year’s award, with the winner due to be announced at Monday’s ceremony in Paris.

The Real Madrid forward will battle it out with the likes of Jude Bellingham and Rodri for the prize.

Real Madrid are no strangers to trophies, given they have lifted a record 15 UEFA Champions Leagues, as well as 36 La Liga titles and a multitude of other trophies.

The list of star players who have helped Los Blancos become the force they are across the globe is a lengthy one, and it is no surprise that individual honours have followed.

No fewer than eight players have won the Ballon d’Or while at the Bernabeu.

Could Vinicius Junior or Jude Bellingham be No.9?

TNT Sports and Eurosport will run a dedicated live blog throughout the ceremony on Monday, October 28.

Since 2008 we’ve only seen four names lift the trophy with Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo turning it into a two-way tussle for 10 years before Luka Modric ended their duopoly in 2018.

Messi leads the way with an incredible eight Ballon d’or triumphs overall, with Ronaldo sitting in second with five.

Check out our montage of all of the great names to have been crowned the best from Stanley Matthews in 1956 all the way through to last year’s winner, Messi.

It was Vinicius’ 24th goal in 39 games in the 2023/24 season, and it landed the Brazilian his second Champions League winners’ medal after Madrid’s 2022 success.

Last year was a glittering one for Jude Bellingham as he donned the famous white of Madrid for the first time.

He quickly became a fans’ favourite in the Spanish capital, playing in a far more advanced position to make the most of his goalscoring threat. He notched 23 goals in 42 games for his new side after a big-money move from Borussia Dortmund.

Fresh off a Premier League title and European Championship double, the Manchester City defensive midfielder is the Premier League’s strongest contender for the world’s biggest individual prize.

He was the lynchpin for City’s fourth league title in a row, and was the heartbeat of Spain’s midfield in their Euro 2024-winning campaign – winning the Player of the Tournament award – despite going off injured in the final against England.

The Bookies have Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior as the clear favourite to land the men’s trophy later with club teammate Jude Bellingham and Man City’s Rodri his closest rivals.

Liverpool and England defender Trent Alexander-Arnold has hinted that he could be ready for a new challenge after admitting he would like to become the first full-back to ever win the Ballon d’Or.

The 26-year-old is in the final year of his contract at Liverpool and has been linked with a move to Real Madrid next summer.

“I just want that legacy of being probably the greatest right-back,” he said.

TNT Sports and Eurosport will run a dedicated live blog throughout the ceremony on Monday, October 28.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has backed one of his own players to be the next recipient of the prestigious Ballon d’Or award – midfielder Rodri.

Guardiola insists that his compatriot is simply “the best”, and believes that the former Atletico Madrid man can succeed Lionel Messi as the world’s best men’s player.

“Rodri. If I could decide, I would say that,” He told us in an exclusive chat recently. “I understand that there are other players that can win it. I think the other way is being nominated and being there is already nice.”

Yashin Trophy (for the best goalkeeper)

Diogo Costa (Portugal, Porto)
Gianluigi Donnarumma (Italy, Paris Saint-Germain)
Gregor Kobel (Switzerland, Borussia Dortmund)
Andriy Lunin (Ukraine, Real Madrid)
Mike Maignan (France, Milan)
Giorgi Mamardashvili (Georgia, Valencia)
Emiliano Martínez (Argentina, Aston Villa)
Unai Simón (Spain, Athletic Club)
Yann Sommer (Switzerland, Inter)
Ronwen Williams (South Africa, Mamelodi Sundowns)

Kopa Trophy (for the best player under the age of 21 as of 31 July 2024)

Pau Cubarsí (Spain, Barcelona)
Alejandro Garnacho (Argentina, Manchester United)
Arda Güler (Türkiye, Real Madrid)
Karim Konaté (Ivory Coast, Salzburg)
Kobbie Mainoo (England, Manchester United)
João Neves (Portugal, Benfica / Paris Saint-Germain)
Savinho (Brazil, Girona / Manchester City)
Mathys Tel (France, Bayern München)
Lamine Yamal (Spain, Barcelona)
Warren Zaïre-Emery (France, Paris Saint-Germain)

Men’s Coach of the Year Trophy (best coach of a men’s club or national team)

Xabi Alonso (Spain, Bayer Leverkusen)
Carlo Ancelotti (Italy, Real Madrid)
Luis de la Fuente (Spain, Spain)
Gian Piero Gasperini (Italy, Atalanta)
Pep Guardiola (Spain, Manchester City)
Lionel Scaloni (Argentina, Argentina)

Women’s Coach of the Year Trophy (best coach of a women’s club or national team) 
Sonia Bompastor (France, Lyon / Chelsea)
Arthur Elias (Brazil, Corinthians / Brazil)
Jonatan Giráldez (Spain, Barcelona / Washington Spirit)
Emma Hayes (England, Chelsea / USA)
Filipa Patão (Portugal, Benfica)
Sarina Wiegman (Netherlands, England)

Men’s Club of the Year Trophy

Borussia Dortmund (Germany)
Girona (Spain)
Bayer Leverkusen (Germany)
Manchester City (England)
Real Madrid (Spain)

Women’s Club of the Year Trophy
Barcelona (Spain)
Chelsea (England)
Lyon (France)
NJ/NY Gotham (USA)
Paris Saint-Germain (France)

Gerd Müller Trophy (top scorer in previous season)

Sócrates Award (humanitarian work)

• Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid and England)
• Phil Foden (Manchester City and England)
• Ruben Dias (Manchester City and Portugal)
• Federico Valverde (Real Madrid and Uruguay)
• Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa and Argentina)
• Erling Haaland (Manchester City and Norway)
• Nicolas Williams (Athletic Bilbao and Spain)
• Granit Xhaka (Bayer Leverkusen and Switzerland)
• Artem Dovbik (Roma and Ukraine)
• Toni Kroos (Real Madrid and Germany)
• Vinicius Junior (Real Madrid and Brazil)
• Martin Odegaard (Arsenal and Norway)
• Dani Olmo (Barcelona and Spain)
• Florian Wirtz (Bayer Leverkusen and Germany)
• Mats Hummels (Roma and Germany)
• Rodri (Manchester City and Spain)
• Declan Rice (Arsenal and England)
• Harry Kane (Bayern Munich and England)
• Cole Palmer (Chelsea and England)
• Vitinha (Paris Saint-Germain and Portugal)
• Dani Carvajal (Real Madrid and Spain)
• William Saliba (Arsenal and France)
• Lamine Yamal (Barcelona and Spain)
• Bukayo Saka (Arsenal and England)
• Hakan Calhanoglu (Inter Milan and Turkey)
• Antonio Rudiger (Real Madrid and Germany)
• Kylian Mbappe (Real Madrid and France)
• Lautaro Martinez (Inter Milan and Argentina)
• Ademola Lookman (Atalanta and Nigeria)
• Alejandro Grimaldo (Bayer Leverkusen and Spain)
• Aitana Bonmati (Barcelona and Spain)
• Ada Hegerberg (Lyon and Norway)
• Lauren Hemp (Manchester City and England)
• Trinity Rodman (Washington Spirit and USA)
• Barbra Banda (Shanghai RCB/Orlando Pride and Zambia)
• Tarciane (Houston Dash and Brazil)
• Manuela Giugliano (Roma and Italy)
• Mallory Swanson (Chicago Red Stars and USA)
• Glodis Viggosdottir (Bayern Munich and Iceland)
• Mariona Caldentey (Barca/Arsenal and Spain)
• Lauren James (Chelsea and England)
• Patricia Guijarro (Barcelona and Spain)
• Lea Schuller (Bayern Munich and Germany)
• Gabi Portilho (Corinthians and Brazil)
• Tabitha Chawinga (Paris Saint-Germain/Lyon and Malawi)
• Caroline Graham Hansen (Barcelona and Norway)
• Lindsey Horan (Lyon and USA)
• Lucy Bronze (Barcelona/Chelsea and England)
• Sjoeke Nusken (Chelsea and Germany)

Welcome to our live blog on the morning of the Ballon d’Or 2024 ceremony as we build up to the most prestigious individual awards in football with many of the biggest names in the sport set to be present.