RANKED! Final 2024 Ballon d'Or rankings as Vinicius Junior, Rodri square it out in Paris

• The 2024 Ballon d'Or ceremony will go down tonight at a red-carpet event in Paris to fete the best footballers of last season
• 30 players are expected to battle it out for the men's award and succeed Lionel Messi, who wasn't nominated this time
• Legit.ng has compiled a list of the potential top-five finishers as a defensive midfielder rivals an attacker for the award

Tonight, the football elite will converge at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris, France, for the 2024 Ballon d'Or ceremony.

After a season of hard work, endurance, tears, near misses and relief, the players who shone brightest will be recognised.

The Ballon d'Or trophy. Photo by Franck Fife.
Source: Getty Images

10 awards will be dished out tonight, including the men's and women's awards, the Kopa Trophy, the men's and women's coaches of the year, the club of the year and the Gerd Muller trophy.

Final 2024 Ballon d'Or rankings

The season ended in July after Spain beat England in the Euro final, and Argentina successfully defended their Copa America crown. Legit.ng now projects how the final vote will go tonight when the winner is announced.

5. Dani Carvajal - Real Madrid/Spain

History doesn't favour defenders in this award. Fabio Cannavaro was the last defender to win it in 2006. To complicate matters further for Carvajal, no full-back has ever won it.

Nonetheless, Carvajal, who is currently injured, did it all for club and country. He scored in the Champions League final to become one of the few with six titles. He then scored in Germany, where he played an important part in Luis de la Fuente's backline.

No player won more major trophies than him last season.

4. Lautaro Martinez - Inter Milan/Argentina

As far as recommendations go, Lautaro Martinez couldn't get a better one than one from Lionel Messi, the record holder.

Martinez made Serie A his playground last season. He won the Capocannoniere, beating his closest challenger by eight goals to help Inter Milan win the Scudetto.

He then came alive for Argentina at the Copa America, scoring crucial goals, including the winner in the final, as Albiceleste successfully retained their trophy.

The 27-year-old will be pegged back by his costly miss that knocked Simone Inzaghi's men out of the Champions League in the Round of 16, but with 35 goals, eight assists, two top scorer awards and three trophies, not many players can boast of a more successful season.

3. Jude Bellingham - Real Madrid/England

At a time like this last year, everyone was convinced that Bellingham would win this award. The determined English star had just arrived in Madrid and, despite being a midfielder, was scoring with reckless abandon.

His case for the award took a major hit after he failed to rise to the occasion in Real Madrid's run-up to their Champions League win.

He only assisted once in the Round of 16 and was hooked off in the semi-final and final. Simply put, he wasn't Madrid's best player in a competition that greatly determines who takes home this award.

He slightly redeemed himself with crucial goals for England at Euro 2024, but the final loss to Spain took away his last bargaining chip. At 21, Bellingham would take solace in a podium finish after a glittering start to life at the Bernabeu.

2. Rodri - Manchester City/Spain

Name a better team player than Rodri; we will wait. Rodri has built his reputation under Pep Guardiola as the conductor who thrives in silence.

There is a popular saying that if you watch a game, you won't see the kind of impact defensive midfielders like Rodri have. But if you watch them (players like Rodri), then you will see the game.

With a tucked-in shirt, Rodri often glides his way around the centre of the pitch, dictating how fast or quick he wants the play to go.

So important was he to Pep Guardiola that every time he missed a game, Manchester City struggled to dominate teams.

Ronaldo's Ballon d'Or advice to Vinicius

Legit.ng also reported that Vinicius had shared insights into the valuable Ballon d'Or advice he received from legendary Brazilian forward Ronaldo Nazario.

Reflecting on his quest for the prestigious award, Vini recounted a piece of wisdom imparted by Ronaldo, a two-time Ballon d'Or winner.

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Source: TUKO.co.ke