AI has predicted the next 15 Ballon d'Or winners and the results are slightly questionable, to say the least.
The Ballon d'Or is by far the most prestigious individual award in football, with over 100 journalists from around the world voting for the best player in the world every year.
The voting takes into account both individual performance on the pitch accompanied with overall team achievements.
The most recent Ballon d'Or was awarded to Inter Miami's Lionel Messi in 2023, which was a rather controversial decision due to the Argentine's decision to move to the MLS after a disappointing PSG campaign.
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In previous years, the Ballon d'Or was essentially a competition between Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo to see who had the better season, but with the pair now seemingly out of the running it is a much more even playing field.
The race for the 2024 award is currently being led by Vinicius Jr and Jude Bellingham according to the latest odds, but the award will likely be largely dictated this summer's Euros and Copa America.
Despite even the winner of this year being so hard to predict, AI has done its best to predict the next fifteen winners until 2038.
The winner's AI have predicted:
2024- Jude Bellingham
2025- Kylian Mbappe
2026- Lionel Messi
2027- Phil Foden
2028- Gavi
2029- Erling Haaland
2030- Vinicius Jr
2031- Evan Ferguson
2032- Florian Wirtz
2033- Jamal Musiala
2034- Kylian Mbappe
2035-Evan Ferguson
2036- Lamine Yamal
2037- Lamine Yamal
2038- Arda Guler
One of the more shocking choices from the AI is for a 38-year-old Messi to get his hand on the 2026 award.
However, in the AI's favour that will be the year his Argentina side attempt to retain the World Cup trophy in North America.
Brighton's Evan Ferguson also equalling Kylian Mbappe's total of Ballon d'Or awards is also a rather rogue shout, but the likes of Arda Guler and Lamine Yamal being included is hard to argue with.
Topics: Football, Ballon d'Or, Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo
Tom Jenkins