Ballon d'Or betting

The Ballon d'Or is, without a doubt, one of the most prestigious awards that a football player can achieve. This means that this hotly contested award is also going to feature football betting odds due to the importance of the award.

The Ballon d'Or is an annual football award presented by French news company L'Equipe. The award began in 1956 when Blackpool's Stanley Matthews bested Real Madrid legend Alfredo Di Stefano, who would go on to win the following year's award. In all the years that the award has been run, 26 different players have won the award. However, the youngest previous winner currently playing professional football is Lionel Messi.

Follow the performances of the world's greatest talent and browse the latest odds for Ballon d'Or betting at Bet UK. Odds are likely to change throughout the year as it becomes more clear who is likely to be part of the shortlist. By the end of the year, the award will be presented to the best player.

What is the Ballon d'Or?

The Ballon d'Or is a prestigious award that is given to the best player in the world across a season. Ballon d'Or voting works with thousands of journalists from around the world, sending their votes in, and once they are calculated, the winner, runner-up and third place will be awarded. In the modern-day, journalists aren't the only people who can vote as now captains and coaches of national teams can also put their votes in for the winner.

2024 Betting Markets

The only betting market that we have for the 2023 Ballon d’Or is the betting market surrounding the winner of the award. 2024's competition looks set to be one of the most unique in the world and for once, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo haven't dominated the market! This year it looks set to fall into the hands of one of three players, two Real Madrid stars is Vinicius Jr and Jude Bellingham or Manchester City's Rodri.

At the start of the year, the two names that were highly tipped for the award were Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe, now of Real Madrid, Mbappe will be looking to win more European silverware and stamp his authority on the world of football in a more significant fashion than he managed at Paris-Saint Germain.

Vinicius Jr was one of the standout players for Real Madrid last season as they went on to win a Champions League and Spanish La Liga double. Despite starting just over 70% of games and not reaching the goalscoring heights of some other players, Vini Jr contributed with a goal or an assist every 92 minutes he was on the pitch.

Rodri on the other hand is in the middle of an incredible unbeaten run, in games that he has started, Rodri hasn't been on the losing side once. That includes Spain's recent victory over England in the European Championships final. Rodri has been a standout figure for City but it hasn't just been his defensive work that has caught the eye, Rodri scored 9 goals for City last season and picked up 11 assists.

Jude Bellingham, on the other hand, has been the standout player in European football this season, scoring 23 goals and picking up 11 assists for Real Madrid last season, including last minute winners in two El Classico contests. Bellingham's blistering start to the season saw him pick up 15 goals and 5 assists in his first 20 games but inevitably the midfielder slightly slowed down towards the middle of the season before picking up once again at the end of the campaign.

Bellingham was also the star of England's Euro 2024 campaign, with an incredible overhead kick in the last minute to prevent them going out in the round of 16, England would go on to make the final.

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo dominate Ballon d'Or history

Since 2008 when Cristiano Ronaldo first won the Ballon d'Or, the Portuguese superstar and Lionel Messi have won all but one Ballon d'Or during that period. The only exception came from 2018, in a year where Luka Modric had a solid season for Real Madrid and an exceptional World Cup campaign with Croatia, which saw them make the final of the competition despite being odds of between 30/1 and 50/1 with all bookmakers at the start of the tournament. Anyone who backed Croatia while online sports betting must have thought their luck had come in.

However, other than the heroics of Luka Modric, Messi and Ronaldo have dominated every year. Messi has been in the top three 13 times, while Ronaldo has been there 12 times. Between them, they have won 12 awards. Meanwhile, the next four biggest winners have a total of 11 awards. Those players are Michel Platini (3), Johan Cruyff (3), Marco Van Basten (3) and Franz Beckenbauer.

Ballon d'Or: Last Five Winners

In 2022, Karim Benzema was awarded his first Ballon d'Or win due to his potent ability in front of goal and his success during the UCL and La Liga season. Previous years has seen Lionel Messi dominate, winning the Ballon d'Or in 2021 and 2019.

The other stand-out is Luka Modric, who won the award in 2018 after his impressive performances for Croatia in the World Cup. Real Madrid stars have always been a magnet for attracting the world's best, and Ronaldo is the best example of this, a player who won his fifth award in 2017.

Ballon d'Or 2024 FAQs

How does Ballon d'Or betting work?

Odds for each player will become available throughout the year as we grow closer to the presentation. Any signals that point towards a player winning the Ballon d'Or, such as a major trophy win, would likely result in the odds being updated. You will find out who the winner is towards the back end of the year.

Which player has won the most Ballon d'Or the most?

Lionel Messi has won the Ballon d'Or a record eight awards. He is also the only player in history to have four Ballon d'Or wins in a row. Michel Platini is the only other player to have three wins in a row, while Cristiano Ronaldo is the only man to have won back-to-back Ballon d'Or's multiple times.

Who will win the 2024 Ballon d'Or?

As they grow older, Ronaldo and Messi look less likely to be in contention for the Ballon d'Or. Emerging stars such as Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland could also be worth considering, with both players making impressive numbers.

Manchester City could have a strong season in the Champions League and Premier League, potentially boosting Haaland's chances to win the award. The same could be said for PSG's main man; however, Paris Saint Germain have been known to fall short in Europe.

Which country's players have the most Ballon d'Or wins?

Despite only one Argentinian player winning the Ballon d'Or in its history. Argentina is the nation with the highest number of Ballon d'Or wins in history. Tied with three other countries, the Netherlands, Portugal and Germany, they all have seven wins apiece. However, all three other countries have at least three winners, Argentina, just need one.

Which clubs players have won the most Ballon d'Ors?

Barcelona and Real Madrid have dominated the history of the Ballon d'Or winning 24 out of 67 awards.

Which English teams have had a Ballon d'Or winner?

Only three English teams have had a player win the Ballon d'Or while playing for them, they are Liverpool, Manchester United and Blackpool.

Which English players have won the Ballon d'Or?

Four English players have won the Ballon d'Or in its history. They are: Michael Owen (2001), Kevin Keegan (1978 and 1979), Bobby Charlton (1966) and Stanley Matthews (1956).