The Spanish League “La Liga” is witnessing a new golden phase, and it seems that its dominance in the European football arena does not stop at the borders of clubs only, but extends to individual awards as well.. This superiority was evident in the final nominations for the Golden Ball Award for the year 2023, as it tops the list as the most represented league.
The magazine revealed:France Football“French on Wednesday, about a list of 30 players nominated for the award, with the Spanish national team, which won the European Cup this summer, and Real Madrid, which won the Champions League, dominating. The award is given after voting by a jury of journalists representing the top 100 countries in the FIFA rankings.
This year’s Ballon d’Or finalists include 11 players from La Liga, ahead of the English Premier League, which comes in second with just 10 players. This move reflects the great distinction of players who play in Spain, whether local or foreign, and confirms La Liga’s position among the strongest leagues in the world.
Spanish league champions Real Madrid lead the nominations
Champions League winners Real Madrid lead the Spanish club in terms of player representation on the list, contributing seven players including big names such as Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Junior, Dani Carvajal and Toni Kroos.
The presence of Kylian Mbappé on Real’s list of candidates is an additional surprise, given his name’s overlap between the Spanish and French leagues. Barcelona, for its part, contributes two of its most prominent young talents, Lamine Yamal and Dani Olmo, while Nico Williams of Athletic Bilbao is emerging as an influential player on the European stage.
English Premier League declines in Ballon d’Or nominations
Despite the strength of the English Premier League and its reputation for attracting international stars, its representation in the Golden Ball has declined compared to previous years.
The list includes big names such as Manchester City’s Erling Haaland, Saka and Odegaard from Arsenal, but the total number of nominees from the Premier League this year is only 10 players, which made room for La Liga to advance.
The representation in the Golden Ball was not limited to the Spanish League andPremier League Not only that, but the German league and the Italian “Calcio” have succeeded in presenting a large number of candidate players. From the “Bundesliga”, Xhaka, Wirtz, and Harry Kane stand out, while the Italian championship includes famous names such as Lautaro Martinez and Calhanoglu.
