It's official - Florian Wirtz deserves Ballon d'Or consideration

Cameron Smith

• 14 Apr 2024 20:00 BST
• 4 min read

As things stand, the 2024 Ballon d’Or race is set to be the most closely contested in recent memory.

In fact, there doesn’t appear to be a runaway candidate to win.

Lionel Messi doesn’t have a World Cup he can win and given he is now playing his football in the MLS, he’s extremely unlikely to win a ninth crown. The Argentine may still find a way to secure victory - and he’ll certainly be nominated - but he won’t be the favourite.

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Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham feel like the most obvious contenders as things stand, and the eventual victor may depend on which team emerges triumphant in the Champions League final.

However, Bayer Leverkusen wonderkid Florian Wirtz is as good a candidate as any and could become the youngest ever Ballon d’Or winner later this year.

The Germany international has helped Bayer Leverkusen win the Bundesliga for the first time in their history, while they are still in contention to secure a treble thanks to their place in the DFB-Pokal final and the Europa League quarter-finals.

READ MORE: Who will win Ballon d'Or 2024? Shortlist, favourites, latest odds, date and past winners

Wirtz suffered a nasty ACL injury last season and given how difficult it is to return to the top level after an ACL problem, his form this campaign has been out of this world.

The 20-year-old has 17 goals and 18 assists in all competitions as Leverkusen mount a shock treble charge.

Alejandro Grimaldo and Jeremie Frimpong have excelled at wing-back, Victor Boniface has been a revelation up front, Granit Xhaka has been a fantastic addition in midfield and their centre-backs are wanted by numerous top clubs, but Wirtz is the diamond of Alonso’s side.

They are still unbeaten in every competition and if they maintain that until the end of the campaign - winning two more trophies in the process - then Wirtz should be one of the leading contenders for this year’s Ballon d’Or. He will likely hit the 20-mark for both goals and assists by the time 2023-24 draws to a close, while he has been the pivotal part of a historic Leverkusen team.

Of course, there are numerous other contenders for the Ballon d’Or, but Wirtz should be in the conversation and he could currently be considered the favourite given how this campaign has panned out.

Who are Florian Wirtz’s competitors for the 2024 Ballon d’Or?

First of all, Erling Haaland. The Norway international has enjoyed another brilliant season at Manchester City (31 goals and six assists in all competitions) and Pep Guardiola’s side are still able to repeat last year’s historic treble achievement.

If that happens, Haaland may be a shoe-in, but he’s certainly not reached the personal peaks of last season and was even compared to a League Two player by Roy Keane recently.

Kylian Mbappe has also been fantastic, however he faces the prospect of missing out on the Champions League and the France star may be snubbed due to another potential PSG European failure.

Jude Bellingham is currently favourite with the bookies and his sensational first season at Real Madrid could well be rewarded with Ballon d’Or glory, especially if they are able to win both the Champions League and LaLiga.

Rodri and Vinicius Jr will also feature prominently in the top 10, while Antoine Griezmann deserves a mention too.

A lot will depend on who wins the Champions League and if Wirtz helps Leverkusen win the DFB-Pokal and the Europa League, however.

In fact, the 2024 Ballon d’Or victor will likely come from the Champions League winning squad, but Wirtz should be one of the leading contenders thanks to his immense form and Leverkusen’s memorable first ever Bundesliga triumph.