Ballon d'Or 2023 Final Rankings Confirmed: Kylian Mbappe Third, Jude Bellingham 18th

Lionel Messi won the 2023 men's Ballon d'Or after beating Erling Haaland in what was widely regarded as a two-horse race.

However, there were far more contenders officially.

The final vote was based on a shortlist of 30 nominees and the rankings of those 30 players were revealed on Monday evening.

One hundred journalists - one from each of the top 100 FIFA-ranked nations - voted, having been asked to base their decision on the players' performances and achievements between August 1 in 2022 and July 31 in 2023.

Messi's trump card was that he had led Argentina to FIFA World Cup glory in December 2022, while Haaland scored 55 goals in 55 games for Manchester City and Norway between the judgement dates.

Haaland was also part of a Man City team that won the Premier League, FA Cup and UEFA Champions League last season.

After Haaland, the next highest City star in the 2023 Ballon d'Or final rankings was Belgian playmaker Kevin De Bruyne in fourth.

France captain Kylian Mbappe came third in the vote, after winning the Golden Boot at the World Cup, where he scored a hat-trick against Argentina in the final.

The highest ranked English player was Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham in 18th - one place above Three Lions captain Harry Kane.

Bellingham also won the 2023 Kopa Trophy on Monday, pipping Jamal Musiala - who was 26th in the Ballon d'Or vote.

England's Jude Bellingham ranked 18th in the 2023 men's Ballon d'Or vote

IMAGO/Pro Sports Images/Nigel Keene

Of the three goalkeepers that were nominated for the Ballon d'Or, Morocco's Yassine Bounou received the most votes and finished in 13th place.

Argentina stopper Emiliano Martinez was back in 15th, despite beating Bounou to win the Yashin Trophy.

Meanwhile, South Korea and Bayern Munich's Kim Min-jae was the highest-placed defender, in 22nd.

Karim Benzema - winner of the 2022 Ballon d'Or - finished 16th.

Ballon d'Or 2023 Final Rankings

• 1st - Lionel Messi (Inter Miami and Argentina)
• 2nd - Erling Haaland (Man City and Norway)
• 3rd - Kylian Mbappe (PSG and France)
• 4th - Kevin De Bruyne (Man City and Belgium)
• 5th - Rodri (Man City and Spain)
• 6th - Vinicius Junior (Real Madrid and Brazil)
• 7th - Julian Alvarez (Man City and Argentina)
• 8th - Victor Osimhen (Napoli and Nigeria)
• 9th - Bernardo Silva (Man City and Portugal)
• 10th - Luka Modric (Real Madrid and Croatia)
• 11th - Mo Salah (Liverpool and Egypt)
• 12th - Robert Lewandowski (Barcelona and Poland)
• 13th - Yassine Bounou (Al Hilal and Morocco)
• 14th - Ilkay Gundogan (Barcelona and Germany)
• 15th - Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa and Argentina)
• 16th - Karim Benzema (Al-Ittihad and France)
• 17th - Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (Napoli and Georgia)
• 18th - Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid and England)
• 19th - Harry Kane (Bayern Munich and England)
• 20th - Lautaro Martinez (Inter Milan and Argentina)
• 21st - Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid and France)
• 22nd - Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich and South Korea)
• 23rd - Andre Onana (Man United and Cameroon)
• 24th - Bukayo Saka (Arsenal and England)
• 25th - Josko Gvardiol (Man City and Croatia)
• 26th - Jamal Musiala (Bayern Munich and Germany)
• 27th - Nicolo Barella (Inter Milan and Italy)
• =29th - Randal Kolo Muani (PSG and France)
• =29th - Martin Odegaard (Arsenal and Norway)
• 30th - Ruben Dias (Man City and Portugal)

Lionel Messi (left) and Kylian Mbappe pictured during the 2022 FIFA World Cup final in December

IMAGO/PA Images/Adam Davy