Ballon d'Or winner revealed today

Football fans around the world are looking forward to the 2024 Ballon d'Or ceremony, which will be held this evening, Monday, at the Théâtre du Châtelet in the French capital, Paris. The award, which is granted by "France Football" magazine, has a special character this year thanks to the cooperation with the European Football Association, as the best awards in Europe have been merged with the Golden Ball. For the first time in 21 years, the legendary duo Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are absent from the list of nominees. It is noteworthy that Messi is the last winner of the award, as he won it for the eighth time in 2023, while Ronaldo, who has won 5 Golden Balls, is among the former players. The list of nominees for the 2024 Ballon d'Or includes 30 players, most notably Vinicius Junior, Jude Bellingham, Erling Haaland, and Kylian Mbappe. Leaks from the Spanish newspaper "Marca" indicate that Vinicius Junior is the closest candidate to win, thanks to his achievements with Real Madrid. The event will also witness a new feature, as no interview will be conducted with the winner before the official announcement of the result, which is a precedent in the history of the award. France Football relies on a secret vote by 173 journalists around the world to determine the winner, with players evaluated based on their performance and professional conduct. Everyone is eagerly awaiting who will be named "Best Player in the World" this year.