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Football betting sites are backing Jude Bellingham to become only the fifth Englishman to win the Ballon d'Or in October after making him the 10/3 favourite to collect football's most prestigious individual honour.
Bellingham has enjoyed an exceptional first season with Real Madrid following his move from Borussia Dortmund last summer and could enhance his claims to the prize further with a strong showing at this summer's European Championships.
The 20-year-old was awarded the Kopa Trophy last year, an honour given to the best player under the age of 21 at the Ballon d'Or ceremony.
Another former Kopa Trophy winner is right behind Bellingham in the Ballon d'Or betting with Kylian Mbappe a 7/2 chance across the board.
Bellingham isn't the only Englishman being given serious consideration either with Harry Kane and Phil Foden featuring among the top eight contenders. But while Kane is no bigger than 11/2, Foden is dividing opinion among the oddsmakers.
William Hill make him a 5/1 chance, just behind Kane in their Ballon d'Or odds, while Unibet have priced him at 20/1.
Foden's Manchester City team mates Erling Haaland and Rodri are also on the shortlist, while last year's winner Lionel Messi is given the kind of respect you'd expect for an eight-time Ballon d'Or recipient.
In the last 15 years, only Luka Modric (2018) and Karim Benzema (2022) have broken the Messi-Cristiano Ronaldo duopoly with the 39-year-old Portuguese forward having picked up the award five times.
Most bookmakers consider Ronaldo a non-factor this year and bet365 offer 66/1 on the Al Nassr ace.
With Messi also double figures on certain gambling sites, this year's Ballon d'Or ceremony at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris could mark the start of a new era for the coveted distinction.
Here's a look at the top contenders to usurp Messi this October.
Jude Bellingham Ballon d'Or odds
Bellingham has enjoyed a meteoric rise to football stardom when you consider he only left Birmingham City for Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2020.
He's thrived wherever he's been and should have been part of a Bundesliga title-winning squad at Dortmund before his €103m transfer to Real Madrid in 2023. He's set to get his hands on a championship in his maiden season in Spain though with Real heading for the LaLiga title, and he could double up in the Champions League.
Bellingham has been a key player in Los Blancos' success in both competitions, netting a team-high 20 goals in all competitions and England are hopeful he can maintain that outstanding form when they bid for glory at Euro 2024.
His efforts are already being recognised by the football fraternity and that bodes well for his Ballon d'Or chances. He became the first Englishman to collect the Kopa Trophy last year for the top young player in world football having been second in 2021, while he finished a respectable 18th in the Ballon d'Or voting.
Betting sites expect him to fair far better this year and he's as short as 3/1 in places, giving him a 25 per cent chance of winning the Ballon d'Or.
Kylian Mbappe Ballon d'Or odds
It's not just in the Euro 2024 odds where England and France are vying for favouritism with the nation's respective star names in close proximity in the Ballon d'Or betting.
Success at this summer's European Championships could have a big say in who wins the award and Mbappe knows all about how important performing well at a major tournament can be to your Ballon d'Or chances.
Had France, not Argentina, won the 2022 World Cup final, then Mbappe may well have picked up the golden ball last year instead of Messi. Instead, he was third.
Whether France win Euro 2024 or not, his claims are pretty strong with the 2018 Kopa Trophy winner on course to score over 40 goals for Paris Saint-Germain in all competitions.
Mbappe is poised to sign off from PSG before an anticipated move to Real Madrid by winning Ligue 1, while the Parisians are through to the French Cup final, too.
Harry Kane Ballon d'Or odds
Harry Kane has enjoyed an excellent first season in Germany with Bayern Munich and is on course to break the 40-goal barrier across all competitions. And yet, the England captain's wait for silverware continues with Bayern having missed out on the Bundesliga and DFB Pokal.
Bayern are still in contention in the Champions League, while Kane could skipper the England team that ends a 58-year wait for a major international honour if things go right in Germany this summer.
Kane's lack of a trophy has held him back in the Ballon d'Or voting in the past and he's not got close to the top 10 in the last four editions, let alone be in the mix for first place.
His Ballon d'Or odds may, therefore, be on the skinny side if the Three Lions or Bayern can't pick up a trophy in the coming months.
Erling Haaland Ballon d'Or odds
Erling Haaland's first season at Manchester City couldn't have gone much better. He fired the English side to a historic treble, scoring 52 goals in all competitions.
His efforts were recognised when he collected the Gerd Muller Trophy, previously known as the Striker of the Year award, at last year's Ballon d'Or ceremony. He also finished runner-up to Messi in the voting for the top honour.
City are currently on course to match their treble-winning achievements of last season, but Haaland hasn't made such a big contribution to this year's efforts.
The 23-year-old has passed the 30-goal mark in all competitions but hasn't lived up to the high standards he set himself last season, while he missed a good chunk of the campaign through injury.
Haaland also doesn't have the Euros to enhance his Ballon d'Or credentials either with Norway having failed to qualify.
Rodri Ballon d'Or odds
Manchester City provide three of the top seven in the Ballon d'Or betting with Rodri's contribution to his club's success now earning him plenty of recognition.
He's the least flashy of the top names in the market but he's done an exceptional job holding together City's midfield, while he netted the winner in the Champions League final against Inter Milan last season.
Rodri finished fifth in the Ballon d'Or voting last season and may climb even higher this October if he can power City to another treble.
He also appears set to have a vital role in Luis de la Fuente's plans for Spain at Euro 2024 having been a regular starter during qualifying.
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Last Updated: 17th April 2024, 08:15 AM
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