Ballon d’Or 2024 Power Rankings: England’s Euro 2024 flops begin to fall as Jamal Musiala muscles his way into the conversation

In 2023-24: Nine goals, 15 assists.

Barcelona may have endured a trophy-less season packed with yet more off-field drama, but the emergence of Lamine Yamal as perhaps their best player at the age of 16 has given the Blaugrana hope for the future. The winger set record are record in La Liga, and looks to be the next generational talent to have emerged from La Masia.

His early performances for Spain at Euro 2024, meanwhile, have introduced the teenager to a wider audience. and if he can continue shining as La Roja aim to go deep in Germany, then a place on the Ballon d’Or shortlist shouldn’t be beyond him.

In 2023-24: 31 goals, eight assists. Won Serie A & Supercoppa Italiana.

If any moment summed up Lautaro Martinez’s big-match struggles, it was his woeful penalty in Inter’s shootout loss to Atletico Madrid that ended their hopes of reaching a second-successive Champions League final in the last 16.

The striker was on a tear in Serie A this season, though, as he led Inter to a dominant title win, and could yet be part of a victorious Argentina squad at the Copa America. He certainly got off to a good start ni that regard, as he netted in La Albiceleste’s opening-night win over Canada.

In 2023-24: 25 goals, 10 assists.

It went under the radar somewhat, but there was an argument to say that from the beginning of the 2022 World Cup through to the end of 2023, there wasn’t a more consistent high-level performer anywhere in Europe than Griezmann.

His form during the first half of the current season had Atletico dreaming of domestic and European glory, but the Rojiblancos slipped out of La Liga’s title race and just about hung onto a top-four finish. They also exited the Champions League after twice throwing away the lead in their quarter-final with Borussia Dortmund just as the competition looked to be opening up for them.

Griezmann could still lead France to glory at Euro 2024 this summer, but his chances of claiming the Ballon d’Or this year are slim at best.

In 2023-24: 20 goals, 15 assists.

Anyone who believed Arsenal might fall away after last season’s title-race disappointment was proven wrong in 2023-24, with Saka leading the way for Mikel Arteta’s side as they aimed to break their long Premier League trophy drought.

The England winger started 2024 in electric fashion as the Gunners showed their best form of the campaign, but they still managed to come up agonisingly short in their battle with Manchester City, while they also crashed out of the Champions League at the quarter-final stage in limp fashion to Bayern Munich, with Saka kept quiet in Bavaria.

Back in Germany this summer with England, Saka kicked-off Euro 2024 by providing an assist for Jude Bellingham to score, but the Three Lions early-tournament struggles suggest this is going to end in more disappointment for the wideman.

In 2023-24: 13 goals, 13 assists. Won Premier League, Club World Cup & UEFA Super Cup.

Bernardo may have had plenty of memorable moments over the course of the campaign, including the winning goal in FA Cup semi-final victory over Chelsea, but the lasting memory from what could prove to be his final season at the Etihad Stadium threatens to be his embarrassing penalty miss in the shootout as City’s Champions League defence came to an end at the hands of Real Madrid.

He still helped Pep Guardiola’s side to a record-breaking fourth-successive league Premier League title – he laid on two assists in their title-decider on the final day of the campaign – and he has already found the net at Euro 2024 for a Portugal team that is packed with talent.

In 2023-24: 27 goals, 17 assists. Won Leagues Cup.

Surely not number nine?! Messi became the first man playing outside Europe to win the Ballon d’Or in 2023, but he earned the prize for his performances while employed by Paris Saint-Germain. Could he now win a Golden Ball while playing exclusively on the other side of the Atlantic?

The odds are admittedly stacked against him. With the MLS season having only begun in February, Messi will not be able to win any meaningful domestic trophies during the voting period for the 2024 award. His hopes of continental success are also over, as Miami crashed out of the CONCACAF Champions Cup thanks to an embarrassing quarter-final exit at the hands of Monterrey.

However, Messi has been in electric form so far this campaign, and if he can now guide Argentina to a third-successive tournament triumph at the Copa America, then all bets might be off.

In 2023-24: Eight goals, 18 assists. Won Premier League.

De Bruyne even challenging for the Ballon d’Or after he missed the entire first half of the season due to injury might seem fanciful, but if anyone could have forced themselves into the reckoning, then it was the Man City midfielder.

The 32-year-old showed great form following his return in January, and was once more a key player for Pep Guardiola’s team, even if his Champions League goal against Real Madrid wasn’t enough to keep City’s dreams of a double-treble alive, while he also went missing in the FA Cup final.

He is, however, the main figurehead for Belgium at Euro 2024, and proved as much with a virtuoistic performance against Romania to keep the Red Devils’ tournament alive after their shock loss to Slovakia on matchday one.

In 2023-24: Seven goals, eight assists, 21 clean sheets. Won Champions League, La Liga & Supercopa de Espana.

The unsung hero of Real Madrid’s season, Carvajal stepped up at big moments throughout the campaign with key goals and assists while also locking down the right side of defence. No more was this clearer than when he opened the scoring in the Champions League final to help secure a 15th European Cup for Los Blancos.

He looks to have carried that form into the international arena, too, having already found the net at Euro 2024 for a Spain team who have been mightily impressive in their opening group games.

In 2023-24: 45 goals, six assists. Won Premier League, Club World Cup & UEFA Super Cup.

Haaland could barely have done more to win the 2023 Ballon d’Or and yet still came up just short, so could he get over the hump this time around? The answer looks likely to be ‘no’, as despite his fine goal-scoring record, he has endured some forgettable performances in 2024, most recently in the FA Cup final. He could still ended the campaign with a league title after claiming the Premier League Golden Boot, but going out of the Champions League in the quarter-finals is likely to prove costly to his Golden Ball hopes.

That is because of the biggest obstacle that was already in Haaland’s way, which is that he will again miss the big summer tournament after Norway failed to qualify for Euro 2024. There was always a chance that if other contenders shine in Germany, then Haaland’s potential heroics might be forgotten come voting time. As it is, they might merely push him further down the final rankings.

In 2023-24: Three goals, three assists, 19 clean sheets. Won Champions League, La Liga & Supercopa de Espana.

At the start of the season, Rudiger wasn’t even in Real Madrid’s first-choice XI, but injuries to Eder Militao and David Alaba saw him emerge as the senior centre-back at Santiago Bernabeu. It’s a responsibility he relished, too, with his performances in silencing Erling Haaland during Los Blancos’ Champions League win over Manchester City typical of what the ex-Chelsea man delivered in 2023-24.

Rudiger ended the season with a domestic and European double to his name, and he is proving to be just as important to Germany this summer as Julian Nagelsmann’s side eye Euros glory on home soil.

In 2023-24: 19 goals, nine assists. Won Champions League, La Liga & Supercopa de Espana.

Rodrygo’s form fell off somewhat after a strong finish to 2023, while there is no doubt that others at Santiago Bernabeu dominated the headlines far more than the Brazilian winger. However, his goals in both legs of Madrid’s Champions League quarter-final win over Manchester City mean he should remain in the minds of Ballon d’Or voters despite a forgettable showing in the final.

The forward could still lead his country to glory at the Copa America, too, meaning he could find himself among the true Golden Ball contenders come the end of the summer.

In 2023-24: 15 goals, 10 assists.

Perhaps the best player at Euro 2024 thus far, Musiala has recovered from a middling season at Bayern Munich that ended with the Bavarians going trophy-less to provide a spark for hosts Germany during the group stages.

The former Chelsea academy star scored in each of his country’s first two matches this summer, while his dribbling has thrilled supporters around the continent. The big tournaments are likely to have a major say in Ballon d’Or voting, and thus Musiala has a chance to vault himself into real contention.

In 2023-24: 11 goals, 15 assists. Won Premier League, Club World Cup & UEFA Super Cup.

Until the FA Cup final, it had been over a year since Rodri last tasted defeat inside 90 minutes for Man City, and little illustrated his importance to the team more than the fact that they lost each of the first three Premier League games that he missed in 2023-24.

He remains the best defensive midfielder in the world right now, and the fact that the Spain international has also developed a habit of popping up with crucial goals and assists – including the strike which sealed the Premier League title for City – means he is catching the eyes of even more fans, and Ballon d’Or voters. He already looks to be a key figure for a talented Spain team at Euro 2024 this summer, too.

In 2023-24: 28 goals, 12 assists. Won Premier League, Club World Cup & UEFA Super Cup.

As Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland missed chunks of the season through injury, Foden stepped up in spectacular fashion for City and enjoyed the best campaign of his already illustrious career to date.

He scored two Premier League hat-tricks after the turn of the year, as well as a stunning brace on the final day to seal a fourth-successive domestic title for Pep Guardiola’s side, though his superb strike at Santiago Bernabeu against Real Madrid ended up counting for nothing as City crashed out of the Champions League on penalties in the quarter-finals.

The newly-crowned Premier League Player of the Year hasn’t quite carried that form into Euro 2024, however, with Foden’s struggles to make an impact for England looking like they may well continue in Germany this summer.

In 2023-24: 50 goals, 14 assists.

Kane’s move to Bayern was meant to put him in a spot where he could finally end the wait for a first trophy of his career, but the Bavarians finished the season without any silverware after surrendering the Bundesliga title to Bayer Leverkusen and losing out to Real Madrid in the Champions League semi-final.

Kane did score at a record-breaking rate and averaged more than a goal a game in the league for the deposed champions. However, those exertions look to have taken a lot out of the England captain, and he has looked laboured during the early days of Euro 2024.

In 2023-24: 20 goals, 21 assists. Won Bundesliga & DFB-Pokal.

Bayer Leverkusen 52-match unbeaten domestic run underpinned what was a truly remarkable season that saw Xabi Alonso’s side celebrate the club’s first-ever Bundesliga title with an invincible campaign before backing that up with a DFB-Pokal triumph. They did, however, miss out on the Europa League after losing out to Atalanta in the final.

Despite that, Ballon d’Or voters will be keen to reward Alonso’s most important players, and few – if any – had better campaigns than Wirtz, whose hat-trick against Werder Bremen in April put the seal on their title win.

The playmaker’s form since recovering from a serious knee injury has been superb, and is likely to earn him a £100-million-plus move over the next 12 months or so. For now, he is playing a starring role for Germany at Euro 2024, having scored the opening goal of the tournament for the hosts.

In 2023-24: 51 goals, 20 assists. Won Ligue 1, Coupe de France & Trophee des Champions.

The saga is over, as we now know that this was Mbappe’s final Ballon d’Or campaign as a PSG player, with his protracted move to Real Madrid set to be made official in early July. Mbappe’s goals sealed a third-successive Ligue 1 title for the Parisians, but the forward’s dream of bringing European success to Parc des Princes was ended with defeat in th Champions League semi-finals to Borussia Dortmund.

That said, with France among the favourites to win Euro 2024 in many people’s eyes, the 25-year-old could yet enjoy an epic end to the season – as long as he manages to be the same player while wearing a mask!

In 2023-24: One goal, 12 assists. Won Champions League, La Liga & Supercopa de Espana.

At 34, Kroos rolled back the years for Real Madrid in what turned out to be his last-ever campaign following his shock decision to retire. That said, his excellent performances only begun to be spoken about by a wider audience after his masterful showings against Bayern Munich in Madrid’s victorious Champions League semi-final.

He backed that up by providing the assist for Madrid’s opener as they secured European glory to go with their domestic title, while he has also been tempted out of international retirement by Julian Nagelsmann, with the metronomic midfielder already putting in superb showings at Euro 2024.

In 2023-24: 26 goals, 16 assists. Won Champions League, La Liga & Supercopa de Espana.

The best footballer in the world during the first half of the 2023-24 season, Bellingham took to his new surroundings at Real Madrid like no signing since Cristiano Ronaldo. Not only did he score frequently, but he also netted hugely important goals, too.

The hype around him was tempered somewhat in early 2024, in part due to him missing games through injury and suspension, but he reignited his Golden Ball bid with a tireless performance to help knock Manchester City out of the Champions League before netting his second stoppage-time winner in El Clasico of the season.

He also scored England’s first goal of Euro 2024, and despite their slow start in Germany, if the midfielder can replicate his club form over the remainder of the tournament, the Three Lions should still be regarded as being among the favourites.

In 2023-24: 24 goals, 12 assists. Won Champions League, La Liga & Supercopa de Espana.

Injury meant that Vinicius did not got off to the fast start many might have expected when Karim Benzema left Real Madrid, but after finally shaking off his fitness issues, the winger was back to his best – and them some.

He netted a hat-trick to help beat Barcelona in the final of the Spanish Super Cup, while he was in fine goal-scoring form in La Liga as Carlo Ancelotti’s side secured the title at home. Perhaps most notably, though, he was the outstanding player in both legs of Madrid’s Champions League semi-final win over Bayern Munich, and he went on to light up Wembley in the final by scoring the second goal in Madrid’s win over Borussia Dortmund.

When you factor in that he’ll also likely be Brazil’s main man at the Copa America following Neymar’s season-ending knee injury, Vinicius is set up for a memorable 2024 – and one that may well end with a Golden Ball.