2023 may be the last time Lionel Messi or a star of the older generation wins the Golden Ball award. Because from next year, the race will be for rising young stars like Jude Bellingham, Erling Haaland or Kylian Mbappe.

Last time for Messi?

Messi is still maintaining excellent form at the age of 36. He helped Argentina win the 2022 World Cup and also brought Inter Miami to new heights. Therefore, La Pulga winning the 2023 Golden Ball is very worthy.

However, Messi’s record of winning the Golden Ball will likely stop at 8. Because from next year, the Argentine superstar will hardly be able to step onto the top podium of this award.

Messi is now nearly 40 years old and although his spirit and creativity have never been exhausted, his legs are gradually no longer obeying his will. Fitness has been La Pulga’s biggest obstacle in recent years. He was constantly injured and could not compete from match to match.

Messi’s coaches from Inter Miami Club to Argentina National Team now have to use him cautiously. Only in really important matches will they let him play for the full 90 minutes. As for the rest, Messi will likely only play half a half before being withdrawn to rest or entering the field in the second half.

Messi is still a special star, someone who can change the outcome of the match with just a turn or a free kick. However, he is like a “fragile commodity” that needs to be used very carefully.

Messi and Ronaldo have dominated the Golden Ball for more than a decade.

Messi’s great rival for many years, Cristiano Ronaldo, also finds it difficult to take the opportunity to narrow the gap in the number of times he has won the Golden Ball. It cannot be denied that CR7 is showing brilliant form and seems to be showing signs of “spring”.

But the reality is that Ronaldo is 38 years old. Even if he is a superman with extraordinary physical strength, it would be difficult to maintain his current form and frequency of appearances. Most likely, Ronaldo will have to rest for some periods to regain strength and regenerate energy.

Another star who once stood “on the same tray” with Messi and Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, showed even worse performance. The French striker won the 2022 Golden Ball, but then chose to leave Real Madrid to join Al Ittihad and did not leave too much of an impression, with 7 goals in 12 matches in all competitions from the beginning of the 2023 season/ 24.

And we must also take into account an important factor: Messi, Ronaldo and Benzema are all playing in not-so-famous tournaments, MLS and Saudi Pro League. Their achievements in these tournaments are certainly not as highly appreciated as in the top 5 European tournaments or the Champions League.

Among these three people, Ronaldo is probably the one who has the most chances to compete for the 2024 Golden Ball . The reason is because CR7 is in the most impressive form in the 2023/24 season, and he will receive a lot of points if the Portuguese team wins EURO 2024.

Seleccao is one of the strongest candidates for the throne of Europe’s No. 1 team-level tournament next year. And bringing his home team to win the tournament for the second time will be a big plus for Ronaldo. Of course, this is not an easy task.

The time of Bellingham, Haaland and Mbappe

An old page of history closes and it’s time for a new page of history to open. After the generations of Messi, Ronaldo, and Benzema fade into the past, there will immediately be new stars stepping onto the stage of fame to replace them.

Football will never stop moving and new stars will never stop being produced. Maybe they can’t compare to Messi or Ronaldo at their peak, but they still deserve to win the Golden Ball title. Among these, the three most prominent names are Bellingham, Haaland and Mbappe.

In recent years, Haaland and Mbappe have been considered worthy successors to Messi and Ronaldo’s race of the century. This duo both became famous at a very young age and have still maintained a stable performance over the years.

Of course, their playing style is not exactly the same as Messi and Ronaldo, but their excellence is no less. In fact, this duo is gradually breaking the records that Messi and Ronaldo once created.

They are also strikers like Messi and Ronaldo, also scoring many goals, winning many titles and above all, creating a huge influence both on the field and on social networks.

Haaland, Bellingham and Mbappe will be the top candidates for the 2024 Golden Ball.

However, the race to win the 2024 Golden Ball will not just be a two-horse race. Because recently a “third racehorse” has appeared. That is young midfielder Jude Bellingham.

Since joining Real Madrid, the English star has shown brilliant performance. Even though he is just a midfielder, he has an extremely impressive scoring performance, with 11 goals in 12 matches in all competitions since the beginning of the 2023/24 season.

Not only that, Bellingham also broke one record after another and is the number 1 star helping Real Madrid fly high in both La Liga and the Champions League. If he can maintain his form until the end of the season and at the same time make his mark at the EURO 2024 finals, Bellingham has a good chance of winning the Golden Ball.

In addition to the above trio, there is still the possibility of a surprise name winning the above noble individual award if they shine and win major titles at the end of the season at the club and national team levels. We can mention names like Harry Kane, Bukayo Saka, Rodri or Julian Alvarez…

In short, the Golden Ball title may only go to Messi this year. From next year, it will be an open race for new stars.