Ballon d'Or 2023 official rankings: Lionel Messi beats Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe to claim eighth Golden Ball

Man City effectively played with four centre-backs during their 2022-23 treble run, and Dias was the best of them all. His start to this season suggests he has no plans to slow down anytime soon.

Saka was very good last year, but Odegaard was better. 15 very important goals and seven assists — all while wearing the armband — made for a standout season. An immense talent is now among the best players in Europe.

One of France's brightest talents, Kolo Muani finally realised his potential last season, scoring 14 for a struggling Frankfurt outfit. That, plus a promising World Cup campaign, saw him earn a big-money move to Paris Saint-Germain, where he should flourish alongside France team-mate Kylian Mbappe.

The heart and soul of one of Europe's best midfield trios, Barella was the driving force behind Inter's late-season magic. He's been impressive for a few years now, and has finally gotten some much-deserved recognition for it.

One of Europe's brightest talents, Musiala continued to develop throughout 2023, bagging 12 goals and adding 10 assists as Bayern Munich made a late push for the Bundesliga title. His winner against Koln on the final day of the season will go down as one of the most important goals in club history.

A standout for both Croatia and RB Leipzig during the 2022-23 season, Gvardiol did enough to earn a big-money move to Man City. Chances are, he will get even better there.

Another youngster always on the up, Saka was part of the reason Arsenal lept from fifth to second in 2023, scoring 14 and adding 11 assists in the Premier League. There will be much more to come from the PFA Young Player of the Year.

Onana turned in countless big performances as Inter made an unexpected run to the Champions League final. And although his side lost to Man City in the showpiece, Onana was one of the best keepers in Europe last year.

Perhaps the signing of the season, Kim's defensive performances are a big part of the reason why Napoli achieved elusive Serie A glory. 'The Monster' should only improve under Thomas Tuchel at Bayern.

Vini Jr and Ronald Araujo may have stood out, but many would argue for Griezmann as La Liga's best player last season. With 31 goal contributions in La Liga alone, his proponents might just have a point.

A World Cup winner's medal alone would be enough to justify his inclusion. Add Martinez's vital run for Inter at the back end of last season, and he can be considered one of the campaign's star performers.

The best No.9 in Europe not named Erling Haaland, Kane had arguably his best season for a tumultuous Spurs side, scoring 30 in the Premier League.

It's hard to believe Bellingham just turned 20. The English midfielder was Dortmund's best player last season as they fell just short of the Bundesliga title, and has hit the ground running in Spain, too. He may not have won the award this year, but there seems to be one in his future.

Kvaratskhelia came out of nowhere in 2022-23, and swiftly announced himself as one of the best left-wingers in Europe. Napoli won their first Scudetto in 33 years last season, and couldn't have done it without their Georgian sensation, who tallied 22 goal contributions in Serie A alone.

Benzema had an under-par season for Los Blancos and still managed to bag 19 goals in 24 La Liga starts — as well as a hat-trick against Barcelona in the Copa del Rey semi-final. Not bad for a 35-year-old with chronic injury issues.

Argentina's World Cup win was all about Messi, but it couldn't have happened without Martinez, who made crucial saves in two penalty shootouts. His one-on-one stop against Kolo Muani late on in the final is worth a nomination alone.

When Haaland endured a rare cold spell towards the end of last season, Gundogan picked up the slack. He was immense for Guardiola for a few years, and, at 33, is finally getting his plaudits. Barcelona will be delighted to have him.

Morocco were the surprise side of the 2022 World Cup, and Bounou was a big reason why. His Europa League final heroics also helped Sevilla pick up more European silverware.

What else did you expect? Lewandowski wasn't at his best last year, and still scored 23 league goals to lead Barca to a first La Liga title in three years. He's ageing wonderfully.

Salah posted his lowest goal total since 2020, but was still among the best at finding the net in his position. He finished the season with 30 in all competitions, keeping a struggling Liverpool side in the European picture for much of the campaign.

Modric is slowing down slightly, but can still turn in masterful performances on a big stage — something he showed in the Champions League and World Cup. This might be his final nomination, but it is richly deserved.

He was solid in the Premier League, but Silva's season will be best remembered for his showing in the Champions League semi-final, when he tore up Real Madrid to send City on the way to a historic treble. Guardiola must be grateful that one of his most loyal servants has elected to stay at the club.

He was always going to be good, but Osimhen found another level last year, tearing through Serie A to the tune of 26 goals and four assists. He added five in five starts in the Champions League for good measure, too.

If Messi was the star for Argentina, Alvarez was the cutting edge - a crucial sidekick for a World Cup winning team. His impressive start to the 2023-24 season point towards another big campaign for a side that wants to build on its already historic successes.

Vinicius eclipsed the 20 goal and 20 assist mark for club and country last season, and is now Madrid's bonafide Galactico. Los Blancos will go as far as he can take them this year.

A No.6 who can attack like a No.10 and defend like a centre-back, Rodri was arguably the most important player for Man City last year. His winning goal in the Champions League final wasn't bad, either.

Haaland grabbed the headlines for City, but once again it was De Bruyne who pulled the strings for Pep Guardiola's side. They have won five of the last six Premier League titles and secured a treble in 2022-23, and De Bruyne is a big reason why.

World Cup final hat-tricks don't come around very often. Mbappe made his look easy. He wasn't bad at club level either, carrying the Parisians to the title with 29 in Ligue 1. Mbappe has hit the ground running for a revamped PSG to start this campaign, and could be in with a real shout for the award next season.

After scoring 52 goals for City last season, Haaland may feel hard done by not bringing home the top prize. He was a transformative talent for a team that somehow got better, and is showing no signs of slowing down.

Finally. Messi completed football last season, winning a much-coveted World Cup, and playing a starring role in the process. His electric start to life in Miami has proved that there's still some life in those legs, too. Ballon d'Or No.8, accomplished.