POLL: Who will be the next first time Ballon d'Or winner?

The 2023 Ballon d’Or ceremony is scheduled to take place in October 2023 - and there is already a clear favourite to win it.

Judged upon the performances of players from the past 12 months of action, the award takes into account displays in both club and international competitions.

Lionel Messi is currently favourite to scoop the award for the eighth time in his career, having won the World Cup with Argentina.

The 35-year-old is one of four active players to have won the Ballon d’Or, with Luka Modric (aged 37), Cristiano Ronaldo (38) and Karim Benzema (35) the others.

Benzema became the latest first-time winner when he lifted the Ballon d’Or last year, and we could soon see the next.

Among the favourites to secure that accolade include PSG’s Kylian Mbappe and Manchester City’s Erling Haaland, who could be Messi’s closest rivals in 2023.

Barcelona star Robert Lewandowski, meanwhile, will still rate his chances of lifting the trophy after narrowly missing out to Messi in 2020.

Alternatively, Borussia Dortmund’s Jude Bellingham is likely to compete for big honours in the coming years, while Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior is arguably the best winger in world football right now.

We’ve set up a SPORTbible poll below, asking you who you think will be the next first-time winner of the Ballon d’Or.

There are a few options available below, but let us know on social media if there’s not a name not included that you think will achieve the feat.