In 2023-24: 28 goals, 12 assists. Won Premier League, Club World Cup, and UEFA Super Cup.
As Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland missed chunks of the season through injury, Foden stepped up in spectacular fashion for City and enjoyed the best campaign of his already illustrious career to date. He scored two Premier League hat-tricks after the turn of the year, as well as a stunning brace on the final day to seal a fourth-successive domestic title for Pep Guardiola's side. His superb strike at Santiago Bernabeu against Real Madrid, however, ended up counting for nothing as City crashed out of the Champions League on penalties in the quarterfinals.
Disappointingly, the Premier League Player of the Year didn't quite carry that form into Euro 2024, with Foden's struggles to make an impact in an England shirt continuing in Germany this summer despite the Three Lions' run to the final. Any chance of him properly challenging for the Ballon d'Or ended with those displays.
Harry Kane (Bayern Munich)
In 2023-24: 52 goals, 14 assists.
Kane's move to Bayern was meant to put him in a spot where he could finally end the wait for the first trophy of his career, but the Bavarians finished the season without any silverware after surrendering the Bundesliga title to Bayer Leverkusen and losing out to Real Madrid in the Champions League semi-final.
Kane did score at a record-breaking rate and averaged more than a goal a game in the league for the deposed champions. However, those exertions took a lot out of the England captain, and he looked labored at Euro 2024 despite earning a share of the Golden Boot with his three goals.
Kylian Mbappe (Real Madrid)
In 2023-24: 52 goals, 21 assists. Won Ligue 1, Coupe de France, and Trophee des Champions.
This was the year when the saga finally ended, as this was Mbappe's final Ballon d'Or campaign as a Paris Saint-Germain player, with his protracted move to Real Madrid being made official in July. Mbappe's goals sealed a third-successive Ligue 1 title for the Parisians, but the forward's dream of bringing European success to Parc des Princes was ended with defeat in the Champions League semi-finals to Borussia Dortmund.
France's underwhelming performances at Euro 2024 eventually led to further disappointment for Mbappe, as the forward struggled to deal with a broken nose and Didier Deschamps negative tactics before Les Bleus eventually came up short in the semi-finals.
Toni Kroos (retired)
In 2023-24: One goal, 12 assists. Won Champions League, La Liga, and Supercopa de Espana.
At 34, Kroos rolled back the years for Real Madrid in what turned out to be his last-ever campaign following his shock decision to retire. That said, his excellent performances only began to be spoken about by a wider audience after his masterful showings against Bayern Munich in Madrid's victorious Champions League semi-final.
He backed that up by providing the assist for Los Blancos' opener as they secured European glory to go with their domestic title. He was also tempted out of international retirement by Julian Nagelsmann, with the metronomic midfielder putting in superb showings at Euro 2024 before Germany crashed out in the quarterfinals to bring the curtain down on Kroos' illustrious career.
Lautarow Martinez (Inter)
In 2023-24: 35 goals, eight assists. Won Copa America, Serie A, and Supercoppa Italiana.
Lautaro Martinez's career has been defined by his inability to show up in the biggest matches, and it seemed that narrative was set to continue this past season after his missed penalty in the shootout condemned Inter to a last-16 exit from the Champions League at the hands of Atletico Madrid.
However, that proved to be one of very few dark moments for the Argentine over the past 12 months, as he tore up Serie A to fire a dominant Inter to the Scudetto before finally proving himself for his country in a major tournament, as Lautaro scored a Golden Boot-winning five goals at the Copa America, including the extra-time winner in the final as La Albiceleste retained their crown.
Dani Carvajal (Real Madrid)
In 2023-24: Seven goals, eight assists, 21 clean sheets. Won Euro 2024, Champions League, La Liga & Supercopa de Espana.
One of the unsung heroes of Real Madrid's season, Carvajal stepped up at big moments throughout the campaign with key goals and assists while also locking down the right side of defense. No more clear was his impact than when he opened the scoring in the Champions League final to help secure a 15th European Cup for Los Blancos.
He carried that form into the international arena, too, as he found the net early on at Euro 2024 for Spain before providing a commanding presence during La Roja's run to the final. Carvajal's trophy haul will likely skyrocket him up the Ballon d'Or rankings as a result, but the veteran is certainly deserving of recognition given his memorable 12 months.
Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid)
In 2023-24: 27 goals, 17 assists. Won Champions League, La Liga, and Supercopa de Espana.
The best footballer in the world during the first half of the 2023-24 season, Bellingham took to his new surroundings at Real Madrid like no signing since Cristiano Ronaldo. Not only did he score frequently, but he also netted hugely important goals too.
The hype around him was tempered somewhat in early 2024, in part due to him missing games through injury and suspension, but he reignited his Golden Ball bid with a tireless performance to help knock Manchester City out of the Champions League before netting his second stoppage-time winner in El Clasico of the season.
He went on to score two crucial goals for England at Euro 2024, including his last-gasp overhead kick against Slovakia to keep the Three Lions' tournament alive in the last 16. Beating Spain in the final would surely have led to a first Golden Ball for Bellingham, but he will likely just have to make do with a place on the podium after Gareth Southgate's side came up short in Berlin.
Rodri (Manchester City)
In 2023-24: 12 goals, 15 assists. Won Euro 2024, Premier League, Club World Cup & UEFA Super Cup.
Until the FA Cup final, it had been over a year since Rodri last tasted defeat inside 90 minutes for Manchester City, and little illustrated his importance to the team more than the fact that they lost each of the first three Premier League games that he missed in 2023-24.
He is the best defensive midfielder in the world, and the fact that the Spain international has also developed a habit of popping up with crucial goals and assists—including the strike that sealed the Premier League title for City—means he is catching the eyes of even more fans and Ballon d'Or voters.
He may have been forced off at halftime in the Euro 2024 final, but his performances leading into that game still proved enough for him to claim the Player of the Tournament prize. Picking up that award may yet prove enough to tip him over the edge when it comes to claiming the Ballon d'Or, but the competition is fierce.
Vinicius Jr. (Real Madrid)
In 2023-24: 26 goals, 12 assists. Won Champions League, La Liga, and Supercopa de Espana.
Injury meant that Vinicius did not get off to the fast start many might have expected when Karim Benzema left Real Madrid, but after finally shaking off his fitness issues, the winger was back to his best—and them some. He netted a hat-trick to help beat Barcelona in the final of the Spanish Super Cup, while he was in fine goal-scoring form in La Liga as Carlo Ancelotti's side secured the title at home. Perhaps most notable, though, he was the outstanding player in both legs of Madrid's Champions League semi-final win over Bayern Munich, and he went on to light up Wembley in the final by scoring the second goal in the victory over Borussia Dortmund.
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