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The Ballon d’Or awards ceremony takes place at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris this evening when football’s most prestigious prize is presented to the best footballer from the 2022/23 season. Lionel Messi, the favourite to win the Ballon d’Or, is the most decorated winner of all time with seven triumphs to his name. His heroics in helping Argentina win the World Cup mean Messi looks likely to extend his record with an eighth win but he faces competition from Manchester City’s Erling Haaland who had a record-breaking season of his own and PSG’s Kylian Mbappe after he won Ligue 1 and played a huge part in taking France to the World Cup final. The women’s award, the Ballon d’Or Féminin, will also be handed out this evening. Spain’s Aitana Bonmati is the favourite to succeed Alexia Putellas as the award winner after leading Spain to their Women’s World Cup triumph and Barcelona to the Women’s Champions League but there may be some surprises in store at the ceremony. Follow along for the latest updates from the Ballon d’Or awards in Paris with our liveblog below:

England coach Sarina Wiegman says the Lionesses are under no illusions about what is expected of them these days, insisting England are ready to keep producing victories game after game. A stellar run over the past few years has seen the women’s national team win the European Championship and reach the Women’s World Cup final, where they lost to Spain. Now they are targeting success in the Uefa Nations League – and a place at the 2024 Paris Olympics too for Team GB – and face Belgium in their fourth Group A1 game. Wiegman says the squad are comfortable with the pressures on them, and believes they can improve on the 1-0 victory over the same opposition last week. “The expectations are very clear. Everyone expects us to win,” said Wiegman ahead of the game in Leuven. “We expect ourselves to win but we want to improve on our game. That makes the chances of winning higher. “I was happy with how we played Friday. We could have made it a little bit easier for ourselves, but how we were on the pitch, how we wanted to play out of possession and in possession, we did really well. “What we want to do in possession is be a little better in the final third. We create chances but the final pass, the final position and the execution, we want to do better. “What I really liked on Friday, there was so much energy in the team. You saw real intention. If we lost the ball, we really wanted to win it back. We had only one stage in the game [where] we dropped a little bit, then picked it up again. I want to see the same energy, intention of the whole team and the togetherness.” England are two points ahead of Belgium heading into the match and level with Netherlands, with Scotland bottom. Meanwhile, midfielder Georgia Stanway suggested the Ballon d’Or ceremony must be better planned in future to allow the top women to attend, given many are preparing for an international match on Monday night when the awards are dealt out. Regarding the upcoming match, she noted that England’s progression play was impressive, but more could be done in the final third to improve further. “The Belgium game we played the other day was a real show of who we are,” said Stanway. “We dominated possession and created a lot. But we didn’t get it over the line as many times as we wanted to. “After losing a [World Cup] final, it’s sometimes not motivating to turn up to training every day, but I think we hit the ground running. “Everybody has been firing in training. We have Fran Kirby back, which is also a real highlight. I love playing with her, so it’s important to have numbers all over the pitch.” Read More Fran Kirby felt like she’d never been away on return to England side England come out on top but it’s far from a complete performance against Belgium Mary Earps reveals difficulties with fan relationship with rise of women’s football England vs Belgium LIVE: Women’s Nations League latest updates Beth Mead ‘not close’ to England recall, Sarina Wiegman admits Fran Kirby returns to Lionesses squad as Sarina Wiegman reveals Beth Mead decision

Chelsea fans travelling to Wolves for the Premier League clash on Christmas Eve will be offered free transport to and from the game by the club. The match itself was originally scheduled for 23 December but has been moved back a day for a 1 pm kick off, becoming the first Premier League to take place on 24 December since 1995. It is a decision that has been unpopular with fans, given the already congested festive fixture schedule. "The club is aware that transport options are more limited than usual on this date, as it is a Sunday and also Christmas Eve," Chelsea said in a statement. "As a sign of appreciation for fans making this trip, Chelsea Football Club will be offering free travel as a goodwill gesture to anyone who purchases a ticket." The Chelsea Supporters’ Trust said: “It is totally unacceptable that Wolves v Chelsea has been scheduled for Christmas Eve. “Not only could this lead to staffing issues at Molineux, but holiday transport timetables will further inconvenience supporters.” Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino will also be unable to celebrate his wedding anniversary as well as the holiday. The manager said last week: "It is difficult because it is not easy to change," he said last week. "We need to accept we are in England and it is different to the rest of the world ... "Even if I am not happy, we need to try to be in our best level and accept a situation we cannot change." In August Chelsea were criticised for putting financial strain on fans after removing a £10 subsidy on coach travel to domestic away matches, deciding it was not ‘financially sustainable’. The club has spent almost £1bn on signings since Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital bought the club in 2022. With reporting from Reuters. Read More Mauricio Pochettino insists Chelsea must rebuild trust with supporters Wolves v Chelsea on Christmas Eve means ‘unhappy wife’ for Mauricio Pochettino Reports of Premier League games on Christmas Eve a ‘kick in the teeth’ for fans Mauricio Pochettino says Chelsea ‘not nasty enough’ after defeat by Brentford Brentford end Chelsea’s mini-revival and continue Stamford Bridge success story Chelsea vs Brentford LIVE: Premier League result and final score

Luis Rubiales has been banned from all football-related activities for three years after kissing player Jenni Hermoso on the lips in the aftermath of Spain’s Women’s World Cup final victory, Fifa has announced. The former president of the Spanish FA, who was forced to resign from his post in disgrace after Hermoso said the kiss was not consensual, was ruled to have breached Fifa’s disciplinary code under the section of “offensive behaviour”. Rubiales was suspended for 90 days by football’s governing body in the wake of Spain’s 1-0 victory over England, which was marred by the former president’s behaviour during the trophy presentation. Fifa has since been investigating the events that followed the Sydney final on 20 August. Rubiales also grabbed his crotch in celebration while standing alongside Spain’s Queen Letizia and 16-year-old Princess Infanta Sofia in the VIP box and initially refused to step down or apologise for his actions, insisting that his kiss with Hermoso was “mutual”. In Fifa’s statement announcing the ban, football’s governing body said Rubiales had been notified of its decision and would have 10 days to request an appeal. Under the ban, Rubiales will not be allowed to take part in any football-related activity at national or international level until 2026. Rubiales, 46, is also facing a criminal investigation in Spain into his conduct and a Madrid judge issued a restraining order to keep him away from Hermoso, who is Spain’s all-time leading goalscorer. A former player who rose to the head of Spanish’s football federation, Rubiales had initially played down the significance of the unsolicited kiss and called his critics “idiots” in the aftermath of the World Cup final. Rubiales eventually announced his resignation as president of the Spanish FA during an interview with Piers Morgan but has still not apologised for the incident. Read More Reporter challenges Ten Hag on not starting Varane: ‘Did you actually say why?’ Major military search begins after kidnapping of Luis Diaz’s father How Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham have fared since their big-money transfers

With another gameweek in the bag, Fantasy Premier League managers are recovering from a weekend of either frustration or elation after some predictable results, plenty of goals and even a win for Everton. This week is another opportunity to reset, make some tweaks to your team or finally play your wildcard to ring in a number of wholesale changes while in-form players are still, relatively, cheap. As the Premier League enters its 11th week, here are five players we think could impress, though managers need to decide whether using a transfer earlier in the week is a gamble worth taking, or if waiting until the midweek Carabao Cup action is finished will aid their efforts to bring success in the upcoming gameweek. Erling Haaland - Manchester City, forward (14m) A blistering strike against Brighton in gameweek 9 seems to have kick-started Erling Haaland’s season as he followed it up with a star performance in the Manchester derby, scoring two goals and setting up a third for Phil Foden. A 24-point return from his last two matches raises the eyebrows and he will be keen to extend his tally against Bournemouth this week. Potentially tricky encounters against Chelsea and Liverpool are on the horizon and his extorionate price may turn off some managers looking for a more balanced side but he could be worth a one week blast to rack up some points against the 17th placed Cherries. Eddie Nketiah - Arsenal, forward (5.5m) If you’re weak in the forward line or just fancy switching things up, Arsenal’s Eddie Nketiah could be the way to go. He’s not a guarantee of points, especially with the Gunners facing Newcastle on Saturday, but with Gabriel Jesus injured he’s highly likely to start. A hat-trick against Sheffield United this weekend proves his quality with the England forward also having a unique quirk of scoring in big games. At just £5.5m too, he’s definitely one to take a risk on for a few weeks with Arsenal also facing Burnley and Brentford in November. Bryan Mbeumo - Brentford, midfielder (6.6m) This pick is all about striking whilst the iron is hot and could back fire immediately so you have been warned. The Brentford midfielder has blanked on half of the gameweeks this season but his two most recent outings have seen him be a consistent scorer with 14 and 13 points earned against Burnley and Chelsea respectively. Has he got one more week of high scoring in him? Perhaps. The Bees are playing West Ham who come into the game on the back of three league matches without a win. A 1-0 loss to Everton at the weekend leaves David Moyes’ side vulnerable and Mbeumo’s form could see him punish the Hammers. Afterwards Brentford take on Liverpool and Arsenal which could be a step too far for even Mbeumo despite his recent purple patch. Bringing him in would be a risky gamble yet could pay off in the short term. Virgil van Dijk - Liverpool, defender (6.1m) We now enter the realm of expensive defenders and there is only one real pick to go for if you’re looking for stability. Liverpool’s captain has played every minute of the Reds’ previous five league games, keeping clean sheets in his last two outings. When it comes to goals conceded only Man City and Arsenal better Liverpool’s nine and with matches against Luton and Brentford next in the fixture list Van Dijk seems the easiest choice to guarantee some added points from the back line. Marc Guehi - Crystal Palace, defender (4.5m) The cheaper defensive option though comes in Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi. A poor October for the Eagles means the defender is only £4.5m to buy yet his selection could pay off handsomely as Palace take on Burnley, Everton and Luton in November. Roy Hodgson will see all these matches as winnable and Palace have been quite good in defending against teams near to them in the table. Guehi will play in every match, if he doesn’t get injured, so is he worth a punt for three potential cleansheets? Absolutely. Read More FPL GW10: Phil Foden, Kieran Trippier and five players to consider for transfers FPL GW9: Watkins, Gordon and five players to consider for transfers A Premier League winner and ex-England international – Danny Drinkwater retires A Premier League winner and ex-England international – Danny Drinkwater retires Erik Ten Hag’s deluded message leaves Man Utd with a brutal reality How Pep Guardiola turned Old Trafford into Man City’s playground

Lyon head coach Fabio Grosso suffered “serious” facial injuries after the French club’s team bus came under attack from fans throwing projectives before Sunday’s match at Marseille. The league fixture on Sunday evening was called off after the attack on the Lyon bus, which shattered windows as it arrved at Stade Velodrome. Footage on social media appeared to show that stones had been thrown and Grosso and his assistant Raffaele Longo were injured by falling shards of glass. French football’s governing body took the decision to abandon the Ligue 1 fixture after an emergency meeting. Grosso, the former Italy international and World Cup window, was pictured on a stretcher with a bloodied face after the attack. The governing body, Ligue de Football Professionnel, said in a statement: “During the crisis unit meeting following the incidents that occurred outside the Stade Velodrome on the route of its bus, Olympique Lyonnais made known its opposition to taking part in the match given the circumstances.” OL issued a statement strongly condemning the attack, adding that they had initially looked for the match to go ahead, before realising the conditions of Grosso and Longo were "much more serious than expected" and due to the "mental state of the players". The club said: "This Sunday evening, at the entrance to the Velodrome stadium, several individuals violently attacked the Olympique Lyonnais bus, as well as its staff and players. "Six buses of Olympique Lyonnais supporters were also targeted. If in the past, attacks of this type had already taken place, which Olympique Lyonnais has always regretted, this Sunday, October 29, a new step towards the worst was taken. "In fact, several secure windows were broken by heavy projectiles of unknown nature. These same projectiles penetrated the interior of the bus. "Coach Fabio Grosso and his assistant Raffaele Longo were directly hit and seriously injured in the face during this attack. Present with them on the bus, the players and staff were also deeply affected by the violence of this attack, which Olympique Lyonnais strongly condemns. "Initially, as indicated by the OL representative at the start of the crisis meeting, driven by their courage, the coach and the players wanted the meeting to be able to take place. "Subsequently, the OL representative was informed of the physical condition of Fabio Grosso and his assistant Raffaele Longo, much more serious than expected, but also of the negative medical opinions and the mental state of the players. She then announced a change in the situation, indicating the impossibility of playing the match." OL said it was "clearly impossible" for the match to take place, adding that they planned to "file a complaint in the coming days" before calling on the authorities to take action. They concluded: "Finally, Olympique Lyonnais regrets that this type of situation occurs every year in Marseille and invites the authorities to take stock of the seriousness and repetition of this type of incident before an even more serious tragedy occurs." Marseille issued a statement of their own, criticising the perpetrators and wishing 45-year-old Italian Grosso well. "Olympique de Marseille deplores the unacceptable incidents which took place this evening around the Stade Velodrome, against the professional team bus as well as Olympique Lyonnais supporter buses," the OM statement read. "The club wishes a speedy recovery to Lyon coach Fabio Grosso and strongly condemns this violent behaviour which has no place in the world of football and in society. "Due to a handful of mindless people, the game planned for this evening was spoiled and deprived 65,000 supporters of attending a football match. "The club complies with the decision taken by the LFP and remains at its disposal so that the match which was scheduled for this Sunday, October 29, takes place as quickly as possible and under the best possible conditions at the Stade Velodrome." Marseille have a recent history of incidents involving their stadium or supporters, including fans storming the training ground and setting a fire, enforcing a match being postponed in 2021. The Metropolitan Police arrested five people a year ago, “believed to be away supporters,” when Marseille played a Champions League game at Tottenham. And one Marseille fan faced an attempted murder charge over firing a flare into Eintracht Frankfurt fans at a game, seriously injuring one visiting supporter. Lyon manager Grosso scored the winning penalty kick for Italy in the shootout victory over France in the 2006 World Cup final. Both clubs have been under pressure lately. Despite replacing Marcelino with Gennaro Gattuso as coach in September, Marseille remain showing poor form with one win and three losses in their last four league games. Lyon are the only team still winless in the league. Replacing Laurent Blanc with Grosso as coach in September hasn’t paid off for Lyon, as they sit in last place. Includes reporting from PA Read More Lyon manager injured after team bus attacked en route to Marseille match How Wales fared at World Cup and what the future holds for Warren Gatland’s men Major military search begins after kidnapping of Luis Diaz’s father Major military search begins after kidnapping of Luis Diaz’s father On this day in 2008: David Beckham heads to Milan to boost England hopes Mauricio Pochettino insists Chelsea must rebuild trust with supporters

Manchester United’s abject performance in the derby defeat to Manchester City left former players Roy Keane and Gary Neville offering a damning assessment of the current state of the club, with players and hierarchy alike coming in for criticism. However, manager Erik ten Hag largely appears in favour with the ex-Old Trafford stars, despite overseeing a start to the Premier League campaign which has tallied five defeats in ten matches, leaving the Red Devils eighth in the table and and 11 points behind leaders Tottenham Hotspur, past the quarter mark of the campaign. Keane offered the most immediate and radical propsed solution to the latest crisis at the club, suggesting that Bruno Fernandes should have the captaincy removed from him - despite only being officially appointed to the position in July after Harry Maguire was demoted from it. “The first thing I’d do, I would definitely take the captaincy off him, one hundred per cent. I know it’s a big decision but Fernandes is not captain material,” he said. “A talented player no doubt, but after watching him again today, we’ve discussed this before. “His whinging, moaning, throwing his arms up constantly - it’s really not acceptable. “When you make change you talk about boardroom level, but the manager can do this. The manager can hold his hands up and say I got it wrong - he’s the opposite to what I would want in a captain. “Man United have been built on great players and great characters. We haven’t seen that.” Keane also alluded to overspending and poor decisions in the transfer market. “We’re well aware United have to pay over the odds but it feels too much for some of them. They lack physicality, they’re like children out there. Too many who have come in for the fees involved haven’t done the business.” Neville, meanwhile, labelled it “unbelievable” that United still don’t have a sporting director - David Harrison is director of football operations and John Murtough is football director at the club. However, he also pointed to the impending propsed takeover or partial purchase of ownership shares by Jim Ratcliffe as a reason behind coaching staff not being able to perform as well as they otherwise might do and get the team playing to their maximium level. “It’s toxic, they all think they’re going to lose their jobs. That’s what’s happening and I believe the toxicity at this club eats alive every player and has done for years,” Neville said. Jamie Carragher, however, countered that “What [Ten Hag] is doing on the training pitch has got nothing to do with the club takeover,” but Neville reiterated that it wasn’t time to place the Dutch head coach under pressure by calling for change. “Of course there’s pressure, we’ve seen it before with [David] Moyes, [Jose] Mourinho, [Louis] Van Gaal. I think Ten Hag should continue, 100 per cent. Today wasn’t one of his best days in midfield [tactics] but the reality is the performances have been so poor for the last few months: battered by Brighton, lucky against Brentford and Copenhagen. “I can’t quite see a way out of it in performance levels but changing manager? That’s not where I am at. He’s hitting the same issues [Ole Gunnar] Solskjaer did: doing well in a cup, signing players to go to the next level and [falling off].” United are next in action in the Carabao Cup against Newcastle United, before a trip to Fulham and a vital Champions League away game to FC Copenhagen. Read More Erling Haaland shadow continues to loom over Manchester United’s misfiring forwards Diogo Dalot ensures Manchester United honour Sir Bobby Charlton with victory Nunez scores as Liverpool show support for Luis Diaz in win over Forest Nunez scores as Liverpool show support for Luis Diaz in win over Forest Erik ten Hag believes Manchester United are ‘on the up’ despite derby drubbing Joao Palhinha’s stunning strike snatches Fulham a point at Brighton

The 2023/24 Premier League season is under way and you can follow every game and every goal right here with The Independent. This year sees Manchester City try to defend their crown and claim a historic fourth title in succession. Pep Guardiola’s all-conquering City, who also won the Champions League and FA Cup last season, will have to see off Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United, Liverpool and the rest to claim an unprecedented sixth league title in seven years. Meanwhile Luton Town are making their first appearance in the Premier League, having risen from non-league in an incredible decade of progress. They followed Championship winners Burnley and second-placed Sheffield United in earning promotion to the top flight. Follow the latest action from the Premier League below.

Manchester United host Manchester City in the Premier League today for the 191st derby between the two rivals. Erik ten Hag’s side have won three games on the bounce after league victories over Brentford and Sheffield United as well as that dramatic last-gasp victory over Copenhagen in the Champions League in midweek. None of those wins were particularly convincing, however, and United fans might be nervous about the prospect of facing the treble winners after such a shaky start to the season. Then again, City haven’t been quite at their best in recent weeks either, with defeats by Wolves and Arsenal in the Premier League, although they bounced back from that loss at the Emirates earlier this month with wins over Brighton and Swiss side Young Boys. Pep Guardiola has said that the derby is always “special” but played down the significance of this one result on the title race, as City chase early pace-setters Tottenham. Follow all the latest updates from the Manchester derby below, and get all the latest football betting sites offers here. Read More Why is Manchester United vs Man City kicking off at an ‘unusual’ time? Pep Guardiola condemns Man City fans who sang offensive Sir Bobby Charlton chant Erik ten Hag has abandoned his ideals – and it might help United win the Manchester derby

The 2023/24 Premier League season is under way and you can follow every game and every goal right here with The Independent. This year sees Manchester City try to defend their crown and claim a historic fourth title in succession. Pep Guardiola’s all-conquering City, who also won the Champions League and FA Cup last season, will have to see off Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United, Liverpool and the rest to claim an unprecedented sixth league title in seven years. Meanwhile Luton Town are making their first appearance in the Premier League, having risen from non-league in an incredible decade of progress. They followed Championship winners Burnley and second-placed Sheffield United in earning promotion to the top flight. Follow the latest action from the Premier League below.

The Ballon d’Or and Ballon d’Or Féminin are annual awards presented by French news magazine France Football and have been running since 1956, with the latest awards ceremony taking place on Monday. Former Real Madrid captain Karim Benzema won the Ballon d’Or last season while Barcelona’s Alexia Putellas won the women’s award for a second consecutive year. Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi is the favourite to claim the men’s trophy for a record-extending eighth time while Manchester City’s Erling Haaland and PSG’s Kylian Mbappe should perform well in the voting. Putellas spent most of last season injured, so there will be a new winner for the women’s prize with Barcelona teammate Aitana Bonmati the favourite. Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the ceremony: When is the Ballon d’Or The 67th annual Ballon d’Or ceremony will take place on Monday 30 October 2023. It is expected to begin at 8:00pm BST at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris, France. How can I watch it? The ceremony will be broadcast on L’Equipe’s YouTube channel for free with Chelsea legend Didier Drogba presenting the live coverage. Ballon d’Or 2023: Who is nominated for the men’s award? Josko Gvardiol (RB Leipzig and Manchester City) Andre Onana (Inter Milan and Manchester United) Karim Benzema (Real Madrid and Al-Ittihad) Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) Jamal Musiala (Bayern Munich) Bukayo Saka (Arsenal) Randal Kolo Muani (Eintracht Frankfurt and Paris Saint-Germain) Jude Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid) Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City) Bernardo Silva (Manchester City) Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (Napoli) Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa) Ruben Dias (Manchester City) Nicolo Barella (Inter Milan) Erling Haaland (Manchester City) Martin Odegaard (Arsenal) Ilkay Gundogan (Manchester City and Barcelona) Yassine Bounou (Sevilla and Al-Hilal) Julian Alvarez (Manchester City) Vinicius Jr (Real Madrid) Rodrigo (Manchester City) Lionel Messi (Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Miami) Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid) Lautaro Martinez (Inter Milan) Robert Lewandowski (Barcelona) Kim Min-jae (Napoli and Bayern Munich) Luka Modric (Real Madrid) Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-German) Victor Osimhen (Napoli) Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur and Bayern Munich) Ballon d’Or Féminin 2023: Who is nominated for the women’s award? Daphne Van Domselaar (Twente and Aston Villa) Lena Oberdorf (Vfl Wolfsburg) Hinata Miyazawa (MyNavi Sendai) Millie Bright (Chelsea) Salma Paralluelo (Barcelona) Sophia Smith (Portland Thorns) Hayley Raso (Manchester City and Real Madrid) Amanda Ilestedt (Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal) Georgia Stanway (Bayern Munich) Olga Carmona (Real Madrid) Fridolina Rolfo (Barcelona) Rachel Daly (Aston Villa) Alba Redondo (Levante) Lina Caicedo (Real Madrid) Kadidiatou Diani (Paris Saint-Germain and Olympique Lyonnais) Patricia Guijarro (Barcelona) Ewa Pajor (Vfl Wolfsburg) Guro Reiten (Chelsea) Sam Kerr (Chelsea) Debinha (North Carlina Courage and Kansas City Current) Aitana Bonmati (Barcelona) Alexandra Popp (Vfl Wolfsburg) Yui Hasegawa (Manchester City) Jill Roord (Vfl Wolfsburg and Manchester City) Katie McCabe (Arsenal) Wendie Renard (Olympique Lyonnais) Asisat Oshoala (Barcelona) Mary Earps (Manchester United) Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw (Manchester City) Mapi Leon (Barcelona) Ballon d’Or 2023: Who is shortlisted for the Yashin Trophy? Brice Samba (Lens) Dominik Livakovic (Dinamo Zagreb and Fenerbahce) Aaron Ramsdale (Arsenal) Andre Onana (Inter Milan and Manchester United) Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa) Ederson (Manchester City) Marc-Andre Ter Stegen (Barcelona) Mike Maignan (AC Milan) Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid) Yassine Bounou (Sevilla and Al-Hilal) Ballon d’Or 2023: Who is nominated for the Kopa Trophy? Xavi (RB Leipzig / PSV Eindhoven) Jamal Musiala (FC Bayern) Jude Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund / Real Madrid) Alejandro Balde (FC Barcelona) Eduardo Camavinga (Real Madrid) Gavi (FC Barcelona) Rasmus Höjlund (Atalanta / Manchester United) Pedri (FC Barcelona) Antonio Silva (Benfica) Elye Wahi (HSC Montpellier / RC Lens) Read More When is the Ballon d’Or? Date, time and how to watch Sir Bobby Charlton: England’s greatest ever player and the artist of 1966 West Ham vs Everton LIVE: Latest Premier League updates West Ham vs Everton LIVE: Latest Premier League updates Manchester United v Man City LIVE: Latest Premier League updates Aston Villa vs Luton Town LIVE: Latest Premier League updates

The Ballon d’Or awards ceremony takes place on Monday when football’s most prestigious individual prize is presented to the most worthy recipient. The Ballon d’Or and Ballon d’Or Féminin are annual awards presented by French news magazine France Football and have been running since 1956. Karim Benzema, who led Real Madrid to the Champions League, LaLiga, Uefa Super Cup and Spanish Super Cup titles, lifted the Ballon d’Or trophy last year while Alexia Putellas won the women’s award for a second consecutive year. Lionel Messi is the most decorated Ballon d’Or winner with seven triumphs to his name and is the big favourite to be awarded the trophy again this year after his heroics in helping Argentina win the World Cup. Messi faces competition from Manchester City’s Erling Haaland and PSG’s Kylian Mbappe. Aitana Bonmati is the favourite to succeed Putellas for the Ballon d’Or Feminin after leading Spain to the Women’s World Cup and Barcelona to the Women’s Champions League. Bonmati was named player of the tournament in both the World Cup and Champions League, while Chelsea and Australia star Sam Kerr could place highly. Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the ceremony: When is the Ballon d’Or The 67th annual Ballon d’Or ceremony will take place on Monday 30 October 2023. It is expected to begin at 8:00pm GMT (UK time) at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris, France. How can I watch it? The ceremony will be broadcast on L’Equipe’s YouTube channel for free with Chelsea legend Didier Drogba presenting the live coverage. Ballon d’Or 2023: Who is nominated for the men’s award? Josko Gvardiol (RB Leipzig and Manchester City) Andre Onana (Inter Milan and Manchester United) Karim Benzema (Real Madrid and Al-Ittihad) Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) Jamal Musiala (Bayern Munich) Bukayo Saka (Arsenal) Randal Kolo Muani (Eintracht Frankfurt and Paris Saint-Germain) Jude Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid) Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City) Bernardo Silva (Manchester City) Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (Napoli) Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa) Ruben Dias (Manchester City) Nicolo Barella (Inter Milan) Erling Haaland (Manchester City) Martin Odegaard (Arsenal) Ilkay Gundogan (Manchester City and Barcelona) Yassine Bounou (Sevilla and Al-Hilal) Julian Alvarez (Manchester City) Vinicius Jr (Real Madrid) Rodrigo (Manchester City) Lionel Messi (Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Miami) Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid) Lautaro Martinez (Inter Milan) Robert Lewandowski (Barcelona) Kim Min-jae (Napoli and Bayern Munich) Luka Modric (Real Madrid) Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-German) Victor Osimhen (Napoli) Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur and Bayern Munich) Ballon d’Or Féminin 2023: Who is nominated for the women’s award? Daphne Van Domselaar (Twente and Aston Villa) Lena Oberdorf (Vfl Wolfsburg) Hinata Miyazawa (MyNavi Sendai) Millie Bright (Chelsea) Salma Paralluelo (Barcelona) Sophia Smith (Portland Thorns) Hayley Raso (Manchester City and Real Madrid) Amanda Ilestedt (Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal) Georgia Stanway (Bayern Munich) Olga Carmona (Real Madrid) Fridolina Rolfo (Barcelona) Rachel Daly (Aston Villa) Alba Redondo (Levante) Lina Caicedo (Real Madrid) Kadidiatou Diani (Paris Saint-Germain and Olympique Lyonnais) Patricia Guijarro (Barcelona) Ewa Pajor (Vfl Wolfsburg) Guro Reiten (Chelsea) Sam Kerr (Chelsea) Debinha (North Carlina Courage and Kansas City Current) Aitana Bonmati (Barcelona) Alexandra Popp (Vfl Wolfsburg) Yui Hasegawa (Manchester City) Jill Roord (Vfl Wolfsburg and Manchester City) Katie McCabe (Arsenal) Wendie Renard (Olympique Lyonnais) Asisat Oshoala (Barcelona) Mary Earps (Manchester United) Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw (Manchester City) Mapi Leon (Barcelona) How is the Ballon d’Or decided? The awards honour the male and female players deemed to have performed the best over the previous season with the victors decided by 100 journalists from Fifa’s top-ranked member nations. Each journalist makes their top five picks from the 30-player shortlists, with each ranking earning a number of votes. The higher the ranking the more votes goes to a player. The players with the most votes at the end of the tally win the awards. Ballon d’Or 2023: Who are the favourites? Lionel Messi is the favourite with the bookies to win a record-extending eighth prize, He led Argentina to World Cup glory in Qatar, scoring seven goals - including two in the final - and won the tournament’s Golden Ball for best player. His main competition comes from Manchester City’s Erling Haaland after an extraordinary debut season with the Premier League champions saw him score 52 goals across all competitions helping Pep Guardiola’s lift the Treble. Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior, PSG’s Kylian Mbappe and City midfielders Kevin De Bruyne and Rodri are expected to also feature highly. For the women’s prize Barcelona and Spain star Aitana Bonmati is being backed to win the award having earned the Golden Ball during Spain’s first-ever World Cup win in Australia and New Zealand. Chelsea’s Sam Kerr scored 29 goals helping the Blues win a domestic double while Georgia Stanway could be an outside pick after impressing in England’s run to the final and clinching a domestic title with Bayern Munich. What are the other awards given out? Alongside the men’s and women’s main awards, there will also be the presentations of the Kopa Trophy, the Yashin Trophy, the Socrates Award, the Gerd Muller Trophy and Club of the Year. The Kopa Trophy is given to the best Under-21 player while the Yashin Trophy is presented to the best performing goalkeeper. The Socrates Award is handed out for humanitarian work done by a footballer and the Gerd Muller Trophy is for the best striker for club and country. Club of the Year is self-evident and was won by Manchester City last year. Read More Ballon d’Or shortlist: Who are the nominees for 2023 award? Sir Bobby Charlton: England’s greatest ever player and the artist of 1966 West Ham vs Everton LIVE: Latest Premier League updates West Ham vs Everton LIVE: Latest Premier League updates Manchester United v Man City LIVE: Latest Premier League updates Aston Villa vs Luton Town LIVE: Latest Premier League updates