The Ballon d’Or by the French magazine France Football is the most prestigious individual prize in world football, awarded to the best player in Europe since 1956. Initially, only European contestants could win the trophy, but in 1995, the rules were changed, and it began to be given to the best footballers in the European championships, regardless of citizenship. Since 2007, the Ballon d’Or was granted to the best player in the world, and in 2022, France Football changed the rules to award the prize at the end of the season.
The first non-European Ballon d’Or winner was legendary Liberian AC Milan forward George Weah. In the 2022/23 season, nominations were given to great African footballers – Andre Onana and Victor Osimhen. Football betting company 1xBet recalls the players’ achievements and evaluates their prospects in the new season.
Field play and natural flexibility
Onana has long been considered a reliable goalkeeper and, for many years, defended the goal of Ajax Amsterdam, where he reached the Champions League semi-finals. Andre finally revealed his star potential in Inter Milan, where he moved as a free agent before the 2022/2023 season.
The Cameroonian goalkeeper has quickly become a favorite among Inter fans thanks to his superb saves and excellent footwork. He often acted as a field player, pushing the ball almost to the pitch center and making accurate passes to his forwards.
Onana perfectly combines spectacular field play with direct responsibilities. Largely thanks to the goalkeeper’s confidence, Inter Milan last season reached the Champions League final for the first time in 13 years and won the Coppa Italia.
In the summer, the 27-year-old goalkeeper changed clubs again: Manchester United offered 43 million pounds for the player, and Inter management could not refuse – the Milan club’s debts are still huge. In addition, Erik ten Hag knew Andre very well from Ajax and really wanted to see him in the team.
Champion and European top clubs’ main target
Another Ballon d’Or contender, Victor Osimhen, also had a brilliant season in Serie A, with his 26 goals leading Napoli to become Italian champions for the first time since 1990. Victor also made his mark in Europe: his 5 goals helped the Italian club reach the Champions League quarterfinals.
The footballer, who the Neapolitans bought for a record 70 million euros from the French Lille in the summer 2020, has always been a striker with great potential. However, numerous injuries prevented Osimhen from fully demonstrating his skills for a long time. Last season, his health did not fail him, and now Victor is rightfully believed to be one of the best forwards worldwide.
Osimhen is a fast and technical striker with a well-placed shot and header ability. The Nigerian is good at playing along and is always ready to pass if his partner is in a more advantageous position. Victor has already broken Samuel Eto’o’s record for goals in a season in Serie A and George Weah’s record for total goals in the Italian league while being only 25 years old and still having many years of his career ahead. European giants are lining up for the striker, and the exit clause is rumoured to be about €150 million.
Soon, we will find out the places the Nigerian and Cameroonian will take based on the Ballon d’Or voting results. In the meantime, we invite you to join the football betting company 1xBet to follow your favorite players, learn the latest news, and earn money thanks to your football knowledge!
