Watch the 2023 Ballon d'Or award ceremony LIVE and FREE on Tuesday, October 31 from 6:45am (AEDT) via .
Matildas Sam Kerr and Hayley Raso have been named on the shortlist for football's night of nights, while 2022 FIFA World Cup champion and Golden Ball winner Lionel Messi will be up for a record eighth Ballon d'Or at its 67th annual ceremony.
The award will take into account performances across the 2022-23 season, from August to July, with Kerr's run of 29 goals across 38 appearances for FA Women's Super League winners Chelsea placing her firmly in contention for 2023 honours.
The Aussie is the only player to have been nominated for the Ballon d'Or Féminin every year since its 2018 inception but is yet to win the award, finishing third in 2021 and 2022 which was won both times by Barcelona captain Alexia Putellas, who has not been shortlisted this year.
Kerr was recently beaten to the UEFA Player of the Year Award by FIFA Women's World Cup champion and Golden Ball winner Aitana Bonmati, who is also the heavy favourite for this award off the back of her commanding performances in midfield for Spain and Barcelona, where she has also claimed league and domestic honours.
Other women's nominees fancied to contest the award include Alex Popp (Germany/Wolfsburg), Kadidiatou Diani (France/Lyon), Fridolina Rolfo (Sweden/Barcelona) and Patri Guijarro (Spain/Barcelona).
Messi finished his two-season stint at Paris Saint-Germain with 21 goals across all competitions and adding a second Ligue 1 title to his name, before making the switch to MLS outfit Inter Miami where he plays each week to celebrity onlookers.
The Argentine's heroic seven-goal contribution at last year's FIFA World Cup in Qatar have staked his claim for Ballon d'Or honours yet again, although he will likely face tough competition from Manchester City's Erling Haaland, who netted an unprecedented 52 goals in 53 appearances in his debut season for the treble-winning Premier League side.
Kylian Mbappe netted a similarly impressive 41 goals in the 2022-23 season and pipped his then-teammate Messi to the Golden Boot in Qatar - with eight goals for France. He and Vinícius Júnior have been tipped the next players likely to challenge for the award.
Five-time winner Cristiano Ronaldo, who holds the record for most nominations at the Ballon d'Or with 18, failed to make shortlist for the first time since 2003 following a tumultuous season on-and-off the field.
There are seven Manchester City players including Haaland listed among the men's nominees and three from the women's side, not including the recently departed Raso.
Argentina were the men's national team with the most nominees, with City's Julian Alvarez, Inter Milan striker Lautaro Martinez and Qatar 2022 Golden Glove winner Emiliano Martinez listed alongside Messi.
Spain led the way in the women's nominees with six players, four of whom play for Barcelona, who are also the most represented club on the women's shortlist with Nigeria's Asisat Oshoala and Sweden star Fridolina Rolfo also nominated.
The full award ceremony will be live streamed via SBS On Demand on the morning of Tuesday, October 31 from 6:45am (AEDT).
Men's nominees for Ballon d'Or 2023
Lionel Messi - Paris Saint-Germain-Inter Miami/Argentina
Emiliano Martínez - Aston Villa/Argentina
Julián Álvarez - Manchester City/Argentina
Lautaro Martínez - Inter Milan/Argentina
Karim Benzema - Real-Madrid-Al Ittihad
Kylian Mbappé - Paris Saint-Germain/France
Randal Kolo Muani - Eintracht Frankfurt-Paris Saint-Germain/France
Luka Modric - Real Madrid/Croatia
Josko Gvardiol - RB Lipsia-Manchester City/Croatia
Yassine Bounou - Sevilla-Al Hilal/Morocco
Harry Kane - Tottenham-Bayern Munich/England
Jude Bellingham - Borussia Dortmund-Real Madrid/England
Bukayo Saka - Arsenal/England
Vinícius Júnior - Real Madrid/Brazil
Bernardo Silva - Manchester City/Portugal
Rúben Dias - Manchester City/Portugal
Rodri - Manchester City/Spain
Kim Min-jae - Napoli-Bayern Munich/South Korea
Kevin De Bruyne - Manchester City/Belgium
Ilkay Gündogan - Barcelona/Germany
Jamal Musiala - Bayern Munich/Germany
André Onana - Inter-Manchester United/Cameroon
Erling Haaland - Manchester City/Norway
Martin Ødegaard - Arsenal/Norway
Mohamed Salah - Liverpool/Egypt
Nicolo Barella - Inter Milan/Italy
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia - Napoli/Georgia
Antoine Griezmann - Atletico Madrid/France
Robert Lewandowski - Barcelona/Poland
Victor Osimhen - Napoli/Nigeria
Women's nominees for Ballon d'Or 2023
Sam Kerr - Chelsea/Australia
Hayley Raso - Manchester City-Real Madrid/Australia
Aitana Bonmati - Barcelona/Spain
Olga Carmona - Real Madrid/Spain
Patricia Guijarro - Barcelona/Spain
Mapi Leon - Barcelona/Spain
Salma Paralluelo - Barcelona/Spain
Alba Redondo - Levante/Spain
Millie Bright - Chelsea/England
Rachel Daly - Aston Villa/England
Mary Earps - Manchester United/England
Georgia Stanway - Bayern Munich/England
Fridolina Rolfo - Barcelona/Sweden
Amanda Ilestedt - Paris-Saint Germain-Arsenal/Sweden
Wendie Renard - Lyon/France
Kadidiatou Diani - Paris Saint-Germain-Lyon/France
Linda Caicedo - Real Madrid/Colombia
Jill Roord - Wolfsburg-Manchester City/Netherlands
Daphne van Domselaar - Twente-Aston Villa/Netherlands
Yui Hasegawa - Manchester City/Japan
Hinata Miyazawa - MyNavi Senday-Manchester United/Japan
Sophia Smith - Portland Thorns/United States
Asisat Oshoala - Barcelona/Nigeria
Khadija Shaw - Manchester City/Jamaica
Guro Reiten - Chelsea/Norway
Katie McCabe - Arsenal/Republic of Ireland
Alexandra Popp - Wolsburg/Germany
Lena Oberdorf - Wolfsburg/Germany
Debinha - North Carolina-Kansas City/Brazil
Ewa Pajor - Wolfsburg/Poland
