The Ballon d’Or finalists just dropped on Tuesday, and holy smokes, Lionel Messi is back in the running, chasing an unheard-of ninth award! But hold up, here in the U.S., our biggest story is Rose Lavelle. She’s the *only* American woman nominated for the top individual prize in soccer. For the first time ever, the ceremony’s not in Paris, heading to the London Palladium Theater, making this year’s reveal feel pretty monumental.
The G.O.A.T. Is Hungry for History
Let’s be real, Messi getting nominated is almost expected, right? The dude’s already stacked up eight of these things. This latest nod comes after he totally lit up the MLS, securing an MLS Cup with Inter Miami, and he was a runner-up with Argentina during the World Cup. He’s absolutely a frontrunner again. The source also points to Harry Kane leading the field alongside Messi. Talk about an elite group! It’s no shocker that reigning Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain and World Cup champs Spain are showing up big across the nominee lists either. And shoutout to Jude Bellingham from Real Madrid, another huge name on the men’s Ballon d’Or list.
America’s Two Shots at Glory
For us Yanks, it’s all eyes on Rose Lavelle. She’s the only American woman nominated for the main Ballon d’Or, which is a wild stat when you think about it. But she’s not alone as an American nominee entirely. We’ve also got Lily Yohannes, who plays for OL Lyonnes, nominated in the Young Talent of the Year category for women. That’s it for the U.S. in *any* award category, which really puts the spotlight on these two. On the men’s side for young talent, you’ve got names like Lamine Yamal from Barcelona and Warren Zaire-Emery from Paris Saint-Germain making waves.
The Best of the Rest: Goalkeepers, Coaches, and Clubs
The lists are packed with talent across the board. For men’s Goalkeeper of the Year, you’ve got folks like Thibaut Courtois from Real Madrid and Emiliano Martinez from Chelsea. On the women’s side, Ann-Katrin Berger from NY/NJ Gotham and Cata Coll from Barcelona are in the running. Coach of the Year for men includes Mikel Arteta of Arsenal and Luis Enrique from Paris Saint-Germain. For women, Jonatan Giraldez from OL Lyonnes and Pere Romeu from Barcelona are up for the honors. And for Club of the Year, men’s nominations feature heavyweights like Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain, while the women’s list includes Barcelona and OL Lyonnes.
So, who takes home the hardware? We don’t have to wait too long to find out. The winners for all these categories will be revealed live on Monday, October 26, from the London Palladium Theater. It’s going to be a must-watch night for soccer fans everywhere!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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