Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo’s stranglehold on the Ballon d’Or has ended this year. After Messi won his eighth award, it will be the last of either of these players to lift the honor, as they’re now playing outside of Europe.
So, who’s going to fill the void? All signs point to players like Paris Saint-Germain’s Kylian Mbappé, Manchester City’s Erling Haaland, and Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham.
Football Manager 2024 used its system to go into the future and predict the next Ballon d’Or winner. They projected the football landscape and predicted champions for the next decade.
So, who has the most Ballon d’Or awards over the next 10 years? Well, Football Manager has Mbappé winning the award on six occasions (2024, 2025, 2026, 2027, 2030, and 2031).
The players who interrupt the Frenchman’s reign are Haaland, Bellingham, Lamine Yamal, and Vinicius Junior. Nonetheless, if this is close to reality, then expect Mbappé to be the next dominant figure for the Ballon d’Or.
