Karim Benzema was awarded the Ballon d'Or on Monday night, becoming the oldest recipient since Sir Stanley Matthews to win the award.
The Real Madrid star claimed "age is just a number" and he was still getting better after what was a stellar year. Winning successive Ballon d'Ors is no easy task however with Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo the only players to do so in the past 30 years. Competition for the Golden Ball is only set to further intensify as the next generation stake their case.
Leagues around Europe will also be hoping to break the monopoly LaLiga has on the Ballon d'Or. Champions League glory has often been crucial to claiming the prestigious award, whilst this winter's World Cup could also go a huge way to deciding who claims the accolade in 12 months time.
Benzema heads to Qatar knowing that no holder of the Ballon d'Or has ever won the World Cup, with France aiming to defend the title they won in Russia four years ago.
International success is one of variables that will factor into who claims the Golden Ball in Paris next year and we take a look at the possible contenders.
Lionel Messi
His total of seven Ballon d'Ors looks set to stand forever, but adding an eighth would further cement his legacy.
Messi is almost certainly playing in his last World Cup and will no doubt be sour over not being nominated for the Golden Ball this year. Success in Qatar with Argentina would almost guarantee him the accolade.
PSG are also hunting their first Champions League and helping them conquer Europe would be his fifth success in the competition. Messi has also started the season impressively after an indifferent first year in Paris as he begins to hit top form once more.
Karim Benzema
The holder is aiming to emulate Michel Platini, who is the only Frenchman to retain the award in its history. Real Madrid have dominated the European scene this decade and will be fancied to retain their crown with Benzema still their main man.
The forward is also back on the scene internationally but shares the limelight with several players when he plays for Les Blues. Benzema has yet to make his mark in a World Cup but doing so in Qatar would make him hard to ignore.
Erling Haaland
Currently the Norwegian is the hottest property in football and, at 22, has the world at his feet.
Since moving to Manchester City Haaland seems to have gone up another level as he flourishes in a team that continue to supply him. He's breaking Premier League records almost on a weekly basis.
Many believe this is City's best chance at claiming European success during Pep Guardiola's tenure. If Haaland is to put himself among the elite then he will have to do so at club level with Norway absent from the World Cup, which could allow the forward to be primed for the second half of the season.
Kylian Mbappe
It looks as though the PSG star and Haaland are set to pick up the mantle from Messi and Ronaldo and battle for the game's individual accolades for the next decade. Currently though, neither has claimed one and Mbappe will fancy his chances if he excels with club and country.
Already he's starred in a World Cup, but that didn't win him the Ballon d'Or back in 2018. If Les Blues do retain their crown that may also open doors for Benzema.
Similarly, with PSG, success in Europe would also further the case for Messi and Neymar, but it can do Mbappe's hopes no harm.
Cristiano Ronaldo
He has not added to his total of five Ballon d'Ors since winning it in 2017, which saw him claim the award four times in five years. At club level life is difficult for Ronaldo, who could yet switch clubs midseason. He is currently a squad player at Manchester United following his failed attempts to leave in the summer.
Any hopes of winning the Golden Ball will firmly rest on his efforts in Qatar. Portugal have never won the World Cup but will need Ronaldo to rediscover his best form if they are to succeed on the global stage. A fairytale success for Ronaldo would make him the firm favourite.
Kevin De Bruyne
A third place finish on Monday night was the Belgian's best effort yet - and a long time coming. Regarded as the best midfield and, by some, the best player in England's top flight given his sustained brilliance with City over several years. Even with Haaland present, De Bruyne continues to be the team's heartbeat.
Who will win next year's Ballon d'Or? Let us know in the comments below!
If the Manchester outfit to finally end their wait for the Champions League then De Bruyne will have to be integral whilst Belgium are outside bets to succeed in Qatar. They reached the last four in 2018 and, like several players, a World Cup - Champions League double would put him firmly in the frame.
Neymar
Few players, if any, crave the Golden Ball like the Brazilian. He has grown up seeing compatriots Ronaldo, Ronaldinho and Kaka claim the award and a motive behind his PSG switch in 2017 was to step out of Messi's shadow so that he could push for the Ballon d'Or.
His move to Paris has maybe not gone as planned but there are signs he's back to his best and being part of the PSG project could be advantageous. With Brazil, where he is the talisman, pressure is always high to deliver. The South American nation are many people's favourites to win the World Cup.
Sadio Mane
In stark contrast, Mane probably couldn't care less about winning individual accolades. His quality though means that he is in the frame after finishing second on Monday night. A summer switch to Bayern Munich could be the challenge Mane needed as he seeks to fill the void left by Robert Lewandowski.
The Senegal star will be eyeing another Champions League success with the Bavarians whist he will also want to make his mark in Qatar with his country. They saw off Egypt to quality for the World Cup and will fancy their chances of getting out of the group.
Pedri
The La Masia graduate was named the best player under the age of 21 when he claimed the Kopa Trophy in 2021. He has continued to go from strength to strength and performed impressively with a Barcelona side that are struggling in the Champions League.
If the midfielder is to be the most unlikely of winners - and the first Spaniard since 1960 to claim the award - then it will be down to his performances with his country at the World Cup. Luis Enrique's side are quietly fancied to have an impact at the World Cup and any victory will need Pedri to be their key orchestrator.
Harry Kane
Kane has goalscoring records for club and country firmly in his sights after a typically clinical start to the season. With Antonio Conte now at the helm at Tottenham, the north Londoners have their best chance of ending their trophy drought and are looking good for the knockout stages in the Champions League.
England have endured poor preparation for the World Cup but remain among the favourites. Kane has performed impressively in major tournaments recently and could become the first man to finish as top scorer in two World Cups.
Mohamed Salah
Liverpool's leading light has finished fifth and seventh in successive years and, like Mane, is aiming to become just the second African to win the award after George Weah in 1995. The Reds have not enjoyed the greatest start to the season, but will have to win some silverware if Salah is to be in the frame this time next year.
The forward has endured a forgettable few months on the international stage meaning he and Egypt will be watching the World Cup rather than competing in it. Like Haaland though, a midseason rest could help Salah be in peak condition for the crucial half of the season.
