The novelties of the football agenda are shaking up habits.
We are a few days away from Christmas and, for the first time in history, the World Cup has just ended.
The 2022 Ballon d'Or was awarded in October, crowning Karim Benzema, best player of the 2021-2022 season.
While the most prestigious of the individual awards was so far given in December or January and rewarded the best player of the calendar year, it will be necessary to wait until October 2023 to know the name of the new king of football.
And it is, unsurprisingly, that two stars are already gravitating around the Ballon d'Or 2023: Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé.
In which order ?
The Argentine would have a head start if the trophy is handed over tomorrow.
The Albiceleste captain won his direct duel against the Frenchman, lifting the first World Cup of his career and the award for the best player of the World Cup in Qatar.
However, the debate exists, from a hexagonal point of view but not only.
It is enough to read the reactions of each other on social networks since Sunday evening to understand it.
"Mbappé has already scored the points he needed"
The pro-Messi and pro-Mbappé oppose each other, refereed by pro-Cristiano Ronaldo "trolls", always present in the hearts of the fans.
“For me, Mbappé has already scored the points he needed, cut a real Golden Ball, Jean-Pierre Papin, elected in 1991. Who is favorite between Messi and him?
Good question.
I think Kylian hit really hard.
And even though Messi won the World Cup, I think the one who caught the eye was Kylian.
We all know he's going to win more than one, the only thing was when.
I think the next one will be him.
»
VIDEO.
Messi, the best player in history?
Back to an exceptional track record
Since the Ballon d'Or was opened to players of all nationalities in 1995, its relationship with the world champion country has gone through two distinct periods.
From 1998 (Zinedine Zidane) to 2006 (Fabio Cannavaro), he returned to the hands of a member of the starred team the same year.
But between 2010 (Lionel Messi) and 2018 (Luka Modric), never.
In 2014 (Cristiano Ronaldo) as in 2010, players were even rewarded who were not World Cup finalists.
But it was then the "Fifa Ballon d'Or" with different rules and voting methods from the "Ballon d'Or France Football", thus renamed since 2016.
There is nothing to say at this stage that Lionel Messi will automatically lift the loot for the 8th time.
Kylian Mbappé, author of the first hat-trick in the World Cup final since 1966, is on the minds of the public and voting journalists.
Above all, there is still time, a lot of time before the opening of the ballot.
About nine months during which anything can happen.
If PSG, the club of the two stars, comes out of the knockout stages of the Champions League, will they still be favorites?
And if PSG wins the C1 with a new hat-trick from the Bondynois in the final, won't he take a new lead over his teammate?
This 2022 World Cup proved one thing: the improbable can happen.
See you next summer before seeing more clearly.
