The day of Aitana Bonmati and Lionel Messi

The Ballon d'Or will announce tomorrow the successors to Karim Benzema and Alexia Putellas, last year's winners. The Théâtre du Chatelet in Paris will once again be the stage where the new best players in the world will be crowned. Despite the unknown, it is clear that the favourites are Leo Messi and Aitana Bonmatí. 

Anything less than them winning it will be a major surprise. And to a certain extent incomprehensible because it is difficult to find players who have done more to deserve such a prestigious award than the two of them. 

The 67th edition of the trophy organised by France Football will recognise the best player of the calendar season. It is judged on achievements from August to July of the 2022-23 season, which includes the Qatar 2022 World Cup. And it was Leo Messi who led Argentina to a third World Cup (1978, 1986 and 2022) as well as continuing to win La Liga with PSG. The Argentine scored 42 goals and dished out 26 assists last season.

For Messi it would be his eighth Ballon d'Or. Nobody has as many as he has. Competitive by nature, he is as keen as anyone to win one more, which would surely be the icing on the cake of his career at the top. It is clear to no one that, having signed for Inter Miami and playing in a minor league, he is unlikely to be among the nominees for best in the world again. Although when it comes to Messi, who knows. 

Messi, just in case, can start to make room for the 2023 award along with those won in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019 and 2021. With the permission, of course, of Haaland, his great rival in the fight for the Ballon d'Or. 

While it is true that a World Cup weighs a lot, and even more so with the impact Leo had on the title, what the Norwegian has achieved is spectacular. He won the treble with Manchester City (League, Champions League and FA Cup) and was Golden Shoe thanks to his 36 goals (he succeeded Lewandowski), as well as top scorer of the Champions League. 

Aitana, the best without discussion

Aitana Bonmatí must be the one to succeed Alexia Putellas, winner in 2021 and 2022. In any case, the award will continue to have a Blagurana tint. The Barça midfielder was key to Jonatan Giráldez's side winning La Liga and their second Champions League title, including a spectacular comeback in the final against Wolfsburg (3-2). 

With the Spanish national team, she has also managed to win the World Cup, her first, and was named the best player of the tournament. Aitana Bonmatí already won the UEFA player of the year award in August, so anything less than winning her first Ballon d'Or will be a surprise. 

The Barça expedition

Accompanying Aitana will be the president Joan Laporta, the sporting vice-president Rafa Yuste and the institutional Elena Fort, the head of the women's team, Xavi Puig, and the manager Joan Soler, as well as the coach Jonatan Giráldez. 

Fridolina Rolfö, Salma Paralluelo, Patri Guijarro and Mapi León, Aitana's teammates, will also travel to Paris as finalists, but Oshoala, who is with her national team, will not be able to make the trip. 

Ter Stegen, who aspires to the Yashin trophy, will also travel, along with Gündogan, one of the finalists, and Balde, who aspires to the Kopa for the best U21 player, an award that his teammate Gavi won last season.