2023 Ballon d'Or: Barella and Lautaro among the nominees

MILANO – Nicolò Barella and Lautaro Martinez are the two Nerazzurri players who have made the nominees list for the 2023 Ballon d'Or, the prestigious annual award presented by French news magazine France Football.

The Italian midfielder and Argentinian striker enjoyed a fantastic 2022/23 campaign, helping Simone Inzaghi's men reach the Champions League final in Istanbul. The Nerazzurri ended up winning two trophies: the Supercoppa Italiana following a 3-0 victory over AC Milan in Riyadh and the Coppa Italia after beating Fiorentina in Rome.

It was a season that also saw Lautaro achieve the extraordinary feat of becoming a World Champion with Argentina in Qatar. Meanwhile, Nicolò Barella was named as the best midfielder of the 2022/23 season by Lega Serie A thanks to his fantastic performances.

The award ceremony will take place on 30 October at the Théâtre du Chatelet in Paris. This is the 30-man shortlist to win the Ballon d'Or:

• Nicolò Barella

• Lautaro Martinez

• Josko Gvardiol

• Jamal Musiala

• Andre Onana

• Karim Benzema

• Moahamed Salah

• Bukayo Saka

• Kevin De Bruyne

• Jude Bellingham

• Randal Kolo Muani

• Bernardo Silva

• Emiliano Martinez

• Khvicha Kvaratskhelia

• Ruben Dias

• Erling Haaland

• Yassine Bounou

• Martin Odegaard

• Julian Alvarez

• Ilkay Gundogan

• Vinicius Jr

• Lionel Messi

• Rodri

• Antoine Griezmann

• Robert Lewandowski

• Kylian Mbappe

• Kim Min-Jae

• Victor Osimhen

• Luka Modric

• Harry Kane