Five Arsenal players have been nominated for the 2024 Ballon d’Or, vying for both the men’s and women’s awards.
This prestigious annual accolade, considered the highest honor in football, involves journalists from around the globe voting to select the top player. Since its inception in 1956, the award has been given to men, with a separate women’s prize introduced in 2018.
For the second consecutive year, Bukayo Saka and Martin Ødegaard have made the shortlist, joined this year by Declan Rice and William Saliba.
On the women’s side, Mariona Caldentey, who recently joined Arsenal, is a contender for the Women’s Ballon d’Or. Ødegaard, a two-time Player of the Year, had an outstanding season, featuring in 48 out of 52 matches across all competitions, scoring 11 goals and providing 11 assists. His performances included 10 goals and additional assists in the Premier League, earning him nominations for both the Premier League and PFA Player of the Year awards.
Saka achieved his highest goal tally to date, netting 20 goals across all competitions and adding 14 assists. He also reached milestones of 50 goals and 50 assists for Arsenal, captained the team for the first time, and helped England reach the Euro 2024 final.
Rice, who was part of the England squad that reached the Euro 2024 final, scored a career-best seven goals and provided 10 assists at the club level, nine of which were in the Premier League. He was nominated for Premier League Player of the Season and was a runner-up for the Football Writers’ awards.
Saliba was a constant presence in the Premier League, playing 4,502 out of a possible 4,680 minutes, the highest by an Arsenal outfielder since Per Mertesacker in 2013/14. He kept 18 clean sheets, the most in the division, and helped France reach the Euro 2024 semi-finals, earning a spot in the UEFA Team of the Tournament.
Caldentey, who joined Arsenal from Barcelona this summer after a decade with the club, won 25 titles with Barcelona. She was instrumental in Spain’s World Cup final victory over England in August 2023 and scored in the Nations League final. Last season, she was part of Barcelona’s treble-winning team, including the Women’s Champions League, scoring 19 goals in 45 appearances.
The winners will be announced on Monday, October 28, at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris.
