It's the big day of the Ballon d'Or , the most coveted individual award in world football. Tonight, in Paris, the traditional awards ceremony will take place, where one of the thirty candidates will be crowned.
The big favorite is Lionel Messi , winner of the last Qatari World Championship with his Argentina: the Pulce is moving towards its eighth Ballon d'Or, more than anyone else in history (following Cristiano Ronaldo at five).
Haaland , the great protagonist of Manchester City's treble, was further behind, but penalized by the World Cup not being played with Norway.
Among the thirty candidates there is only one Italian, and it is Nicolò Barella from Cagliari. The midfielder will try to improve on his twenty-sixth place in 2021, when he had success at the European Championship with the blue shirt.
(Unioneonline/L.Ne.)