Re-Ranking the Ballon d’Or Rankings – SoccerKakis

Yes, the entire rankings…

So, as we all know, the 2023 Ballon d’Or awards have come and past. We all know the ceremony. We all love the ceremony. Sort of. Not really.

Anyway, we all have feelings regarding this ceremony and what it has become. And I am sure we all have opinions on Messi’s eighth Ballon d’Or in what is very likely his and Ronaldo’s final award ceremony as the big names they have been. And I have opinions on it, which is why you are here, so we are going to be re-ranking the finalists for the world player of the year award.

Yes, all thirty of them. All of them. Because there were some tremendously dumb rankings.

There will not be detail on all of them, but there will be on several. And we will be massively changing some of these rankings. I do not know what France Football or the journalists who vote on behalf of them consider, but that is why they are voters and I am not. My ranking is listed below alongside their actual ranking from the 2023 Ballon d’Or awards next to them for comparison.

And no, Cristiano Ronaldo is still not in this list. Get over it, Piers Morgan.

30. Emiliano Martínez (Aston Villa/Argentina) (Ranking in 2023: 15th)

The first major downgrade in place. Emi Martínez is a great goalkeeper, but he should not have won the Yashin Trophy, and he should not have won the Golden Glove at the World Cup. With the utmost respect, much of this status has been carried by his save on Kolo Muani in the World Cup Final. Great goalkeeper, but entirely too high on this list.

29. William Saliba (Arsenal/France) (Ranking in 2023: Unranked)

Right idea, wrong player. Ruben Dias is outstanding, but William Saliba was the best center back in the Premier League over the last year. His injury is likely what led to Arsenal’s struggles in the second half of the season and their failure to win the league title. In a football landscape where there is really not one outright “best center back in the world”, Saliba certainly makes an incredible claim at being that one top player in that position.

28. Martin Ødegaard (Arsenal/Norway) (Ranking in 2023: tied for 28th)

No opposition to this selection. He has struggled to start the season, but 2022/23 Ødegaard was magical. Worthy of his spot.

27. Yassine Bounou (Al Hilal/Morocco) (Ranking in 2023: 13th)

Bounou (or Croatia’s Dominik Livaković) should have been the winner of the Golden Glove from the World Cup. Without a doubt, those were the two best goalkeepers in that competition. Pair this with a very strong season for Sevilla, where they improbably won the Europa League, and you get a season worthy of being on this list. Just not as high as he was given. I do not think he was that level of goalkeeper.

26. Joško Gvardiol (Manchester City/Croatia) (Ranking in 2023: 25th)

Gvardiol was the best defender at the World Cup, and he followed up an incredibly strong World Cup with a very strong season with RB Leipzig and a very good start to the season with Manchester City following his huge money move to England. No objection to his place, and the only reason I consider him higher than Saliba purely in this list is the World Cup and Saliba’s injury.

25. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (Napoli/Georgia) (Ranking in 2023: 17th)

Kvaradona was, on the whole, quite good last season. The issue, though, is that his first half of the season was far better than his second half of the season and the start to this season. He is a brilliant player, do not get me wrong, but his placement on the list was far too high when considered alongside the other names on here.

24. Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich/South Korea) (Ranking in 2023: 22nd)

I do not think Kim being the highest center back on this list is too controversial given how strong he was for Napoli and how strong he has been so far for Bayern. He won AFC Player of the Year, after all, and that was completely deserved. But the center backs should be closer together. It is hard to differentiate between them.

23. Jamal Musiala (Bayern Munich/Germany) (Ranking in 2023: 26th)

Bayern’s best player last season and a significant reason as to why they did not end up fumbling a league title, Musiala is ushering himself into the spotlight of world football. Germany’s rather pathetic World Cup cannot ruin his claim to this list, and I have no doubt that he will be much higher in the near future.

22. Karim Benzema (Al-Ittihad/France) (Ranking in 2023: 16th)

Karim Benzema’s ranking was too high. Yes, his second half of the season with Real Madrid was very strong, but injuries did not help his claim. Neither did…well…everything that happened when he was in Qatar. Neither did his move to Saudi Arabia. He is playing relatively well in Saudi Arabia, sure, but the level is not nearly that of the players who finished around and below him. His season in Madrid helps him move high, but not as high as he was placed.

21. Achraf Hakimi (Paris Saint-Germain/Morocco) (Ranking in 2023: Unranked)

Hakimi is the best fullback in the world at the moment. Despite some injury issues, his very strong level for PSG and his very strong World Cup with Morocco has ensured that he has earned that monicker. Sure, there are no fullbacks on this list, and you can maybe debate if there should be, but Hakimi’s ability as a footballer at least gives him the right to be mentioned.

20. Julián Álvarez (Manchester City/Argentina) (Ranking in 2023: 7th)

Brilliant player. Game-changer for Argentina in Qatar. Fantastic start to the season for City. 7 was way too high. Like WAY too high. Outlandishly too high. He could be there soon, but he is not there yet.

19. Luka Modrić (Real Madrid/Croatia) (Ranking in 2023: 10th)

He is still really good. Please do not get me wrong here. He is still an ageless wonder. But he was not a top ten player in the world last season. He was not, and I think Madrid fans would agree.

18. Bukayo Saka (Arsenal/England) (Ranking in 2023: 24th)

Starboy certainly had his breakout season last year. A large factor in Arsenal’s title hunt as well as England’s World Cup, Bukayo Saka demonstrated that he is among the best wingers in the world. He is also another player, like Musiala and Álvarez, who is destined to move up in these rankings over time.

17. Robert Lewandowski (Barcelona/Poland) (Ranking in 2023: 12th)

Again, a little too high. Much of his success last season was in the first half of the season, with the second half being a mix of a slight dip in form, fitness, and the need for a more pragmatic Barcelona team. He is not quite right as a fit at Barcelona, but it still works, and he is still a brilliant forward. But he was a little too high.

16. Nicolò Barella (Inter Milan/Italy) (Ranking in 2023: 27th)

Barella remains underrated in the world spotlight, likely not helped by Italy’s failure to qualify for consecutive World Cups, but his key role in Inter’s run to the Champions League Final appears to be changing that. He is a brilliant technical midfielder and can do just about anything. This still feels too low, but there is certainly room for growth as the years go.

15. Marc-André ter Stegen (Barcelona/Germany) (Ranking in 2023: Unranked)

Ter Stegen was the best goalkeeper in the world over the last year. There is no doubt in my mind. He should have been a resounding winner of the Yashin Trophy. His performances for Barcelona were unbelievable, and he might have been their most crucial performer in the league-winning season.

14. Lautaro Martínez (Inter Milan/Argentina) (Ranking in 2023: 20th)

Yeah, I know, the World Cup was iffy. But he is a brilliant player. El Toro was great for Inter last season, important in their run to the Champions League Final, and has been ON FIRE this season. He is still an outstanding player and one of the best strikers on the planet. 20 was too low considering some of the players above him.

13. İlkay Gündoğan (Barcelona/Germany) (Ranking in 2023: 14th)

The once-most underrated player in the world is now rightly being recognized for just how good he is. Incredibly well-rounded, incredibly consistent, and just incredible in every aspect. Gündoğan’s move to Barcelona has not been perfect, but he was incredibly crucial for City in their treble-winning season. A no-doubter for the top fifteen on this list.

12. Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid/England) (Ranking in 2023: 18th)

At the rate things are going, Jude Bellingham is going to win a Ballon d’Or very soon. Everyone is obviously aware of how he started his time with Real Madrid. An absurd start, unparalleled, unthought of by even his biggest fans. He is a Galáctico in every way. And that even breezes over just how incredible he was for Dortmund last season, being a massive reason as to why they got to the final day with a chance to win the Bundesliga. This might still be too low of a ranking, but it is certainly more fitting than the 18th that he got this year.

11. Harry Kane (Bayern Munich/England) (Ranking in 2023: 19th)

How in the world was Harry Kane NINETEENTH? He had THIRTY league goals last season. 12 in nine games so far for Bayern. Two and three assists in an unfortunately short World Cup journey. How was he that low? Baffling. Genuinely no way to justify it.

10. Mohamed Salah (Liverpool/Egypt) (Ranking in 2023: 11th)

This, admittedly, feels slightly unfair on Salah. He is incredible, and at this point I fear that we have gotten too used to just how good he is. Yes, Liverpool struggled massively by their standards last season, but Salah’s 19 goals and 12 assists in the league is still a very strong return. Eight goals and four assists in 11 games so far this season is absurd. He is still one of the best attackers in the world. He gets a slight bump up in my rankings compared to his actual finish, but it is still worth highlighting the potential lack of love he is getting at this point in his career.

9. Vinícius Junior (Real Madrid/Brazil) (Ranking in 2023: 6th)

Vinícius is a ridiculously talented player. He was box-office good last season, even if the stats did not quite reflect that and even if it is slightly worse than his 2021/22. But he is not the best outfield player in LaLiga, and he should not be the highest ranked LaLiga player in this list.

8. Victor Osimhen (Napoli/Nigeria) (Ranking in 2023: 8th)

It still feels like that people do not fully understand just how good Victor Osimhen was last season. Especially in the second half of the season when the level of some of his teammates fell off, Osimhen continued to score at absurd rates. He is the main reason, an outsized contributor, in Napoli’s league title last season, and their start to this season would have been miles worse had it not been for his incredible ability to put the ball in the back of the net. He is not moving in these rankings compared to his actual finish, I have nothing extra to justify here, but it is just worth highlighting that he might still be underrated in the grand scheme of forwards in world football at the moment.

7. Antoine Griezmann (Atlético Madrid/France) (Ranking in 2023: 21st)

Antoine Griezmann is the most underrated player in world football. It is not remotely close either, and him somehow finishing TWENTY-FIRST in the Ballon d’Or ranking is just another example of this. Griezmann had 31 goal involvements (15 goals and 16 assists) in LaLiga last season, despite only being allowed to play around 30 minutes per game before the World Cup due to Atléti’s legal dispute with Barcelona. The resolution of that legal dispute, and Griezmann’s reintroduction to the starting team following the World Cup, directly contributed to Atléti going from disappointing flops to arguably the best team in Spain in 2023 and one of the best attacking teams in Europe. He was also arguably one of the three best players at the World Cup, leading the competition in nearly every creative stat possible. 21st is entirely, hilariously too low, and it is puzzling to me how the level of Griezmann was not recognized at all over the last year.

6. Bernardo Silva (Manchester City/Portugal) (Ranking in 2023: 9th)

The only truly unfortunate part of Bernardo Silva’s career is the players in whose shadows he has had to live. He was unbelievably good for Monaco, but not quite as good as Mbappé. He has been phenomenal for City, but not quite as good as De Bruyne. The only reason Bernardo Silva was not known as the best midfielder in the Premier League in 2023 is due to the fact he shares the pitch with De Bruyne and Rodri, and all three each made equal and outsized contributions to City’s treble win. Silva remaining with City for this season, despite significant interest from PSG and Saudi Arabia, will be a significant factor in City’s ability to repeat their feats from last season. He might be the most well-rounded midfielder in the world at the moment (aside from maybe Bellingham), and he is crucial in helping City’s system function.

5. Rodri (Manchester City/Spain) (Ranking in 2023: 5th)

The best defensive midfielder in world football. Crucial in City’s treble win, including scoring the winning goal in the Champions League Final, and added a Nations League win with Spain on top of that. 5th is about right, no complaints from me.

4. Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City/Belgium) (Ranking in 2023: 4th)

You know that Kevin De Bruyne has transcended the sport when some could argue he had a “down” year last year while he led the Big Five European Leagues in basically every creative stat possible while helping to lead his team to a historic treble winning season. Sure, health issues are starting to take their toll, but he is still undoubtedly one of the best players in the world and arguably the best player in the Premier League (aside from one of his notable teammates).

3. Kylian Mbappé (Paris Saint-Germain/France) (Ranking in 2023: 3rd)

This has been a long time coming for Mbappé, the moment where finally the doubts and criticisms cannot be justified. Immense for France in Qatar, crucial in keeping PSG’s admittedly horrid season afloat, undeniably one of the three best players in world football. Will he ever get his Ballon d’Or? Only time will tell.

2. Lionel Messi (Inter Miami/Argentina) (Ranking in 2023: 1st)

I do not have an issue with Messi winning the Ballon d’Or. I do not think it is some sort of humongous scandal. But if I had my choice, it would not have been him. His World Cup was phenomenal, yes. His season with PSG was not as bad as people from the outside would think, yes. Him being only the third player in Ligue 1 history to have a season of 15+ goals and 15+ assists is still incredibly notable regardless of what idiots online say about Ligue 1. But the second half of the season with PSG, one where it quite often seemed like he did not really care, is not enough to carry him past his obvious competitor for this award.

1. Erling Håland (Manchester City/Norway) (Ranking in 2023: 2nd)

I mean, come on. 48 goals in 46 league and Champions League games. Broken Premier League single-season scoring record. Won the treble. AND 15 goals in 15 league and Champions League games so far this season? Absurd. Sure, maybe he was not a significant contributor in two of those treble legs, given he did not score in the semifinal and final of the FA Cup and only scored twice from the quarterfinal stage onward in the Champions League, but that cannot be enough to knock him off this award. Erling Håland was the best player in the world over the last 365 days, and he should have won the Ballon d’Or.