The attention of the soccer world will be fixed on London to start the week, where a months-old question will finally be answered: Who's going to win the Ballon d'Or? I'm Pardeep Cattry with a lookahead to Monday's ceremony, plus a preview of what's to come as action resumes in the EFL Cup. Monday, Oct. 26🇫🇷 Ligue 1: Paris Saint-Germain vs.
Lyon, 3:30 p.m. ➡️ beIN Sports🏆 Ballon d'Or ceremony, 4 p.m. ➡️ DAZN Tuesday, Oct. 27🇮🇹 Serie A: Roma vs. Cagliari, 3:45 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+🏴 EFL Cup: Fleetwood Town vs. Arsenal, 4 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+ Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo may no longer be the frontrunners for the Ballon d'Or, but their decades-long command over soccer's most prestigious individual accolade still colors the way we all look at the award.
The air of mystery that should be a fixture in the run-up to an awards show still feels foreign, the ability to gauge the eventual winner a fresh challenge for many. That's especially true this year, particularly on the men's side, where none of the usual indicators apply. A handful of deserving players make up the list of nominees once again, but none fit the prototype of an eventual Ballon d'Or winner, rightly or wrongly.
The award often goes to the best player on a team that won the biggest prize on offer in the last year, a path that would lead you straight to Spain's golden ball winner, Rodri. The midfielder hardly feels like a slam-dunk pick after spending much of last season building his form following an ACL injury, which might lead you to a member of Paris Saint-Germain's UEFA Champions League-winning team. Vitinha, the Portuguese midfielder, might actually have a shot but there are buzzier names in the mix that are equally worthy.
The favorite might actually be someone else entirely – Harry Kane, the England captain and Bayern Munich talisman who has steadily established himself as his generation's greatest goalscorer over the years. Here's James Benge on Kane's case in the final batch of Ballon d'Or power rankings. There is no obvious candidate on the women's side, either, though Alexia Putellas might just be the favorite if the usual patterns apply.
The voting body will be inclined to select someone from Barcelona's UEFA Women's Champions League-winning side and with three-time Ballon d'Or winner Aitana Bonmati out of the running after dealing with a broken leg last season, Putellas playing a central role with eight goals and six assists in Europe before leaving for London City Lionesses in the summer. She is one of eight members of that squad among the list of nominees, the list of 30 an eclectic selection of some of the world's best players. The NWSL's nominees include Temwa Chawinga, the league's back-to-back MVP with the Kansas City Current and the headliner for a Malawi side that made a run to the Women's Africa Cup of Nations, and U.S. women's national team standout Rose Lavelle, who scored the game-winner for Gotham FC in last year's NWSL Championship. ☀️ Morning Footy (Weekdays 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.): Join Golazo Network as it helps fans get their day started on the right foot on the network's flagship morning show with highlights, interviews and the biggest soccer storylines.
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