Here are the Ballon d’Or, Feminin 2023 nominees

Soccer’s supreme individual award is back for 2023.

The Ballon d’Or, widely viewed as the most prestigious award in the sport, is awarded to the previous season’s best footballer.

French news magazine France Football has presented the honor since 1956, with Argentine icon Lionel Messi claiming it the most times (seven).

And by Oct. 30, when the winner will be announced, Messi may just have another to his tally. Messi was one of 30 nominees on the men’s side, with 30 additional players nominated for the Ballon d’Or Feminin, given to the best female footballer of the year.

Messi, whose resume for the year is anchored by his World Cup win with Argentina and, to a lesser extent, his Ligue 1 title with Paris Saint-Germain, will mainly be rivaled for the Ballon d’Or by Erling Haaland. The now-23-year-old Norwegian striker did not play in the World Cup but did help Manchester City to a historic treble, along with several individual awards.

Cristiano Ronaldo was not among the nominees for the first time since 2003.

Here’s the full list of the nominees for the men’s side:

Ballon d’Or 2023 nominees

On the women’s side, Barcelona’s Aitana Bonmati leads the way after playing a key role in Spain’s recent World Cup triumph. Several English players will look to compete for the honor as well, with Sophia Smith being the sole representative from the United States women’s national team.

Here’s the full list of the nominees for the women’s prize:

Ballon d’Or Feminin 2023 nominees

Lionel Messi’s stellar performance with Inter Miami this summer has benefited these three promising soccer players.