Lionel Messi and Erling Haaland lead the list of 30 players nominated for the 2023 Ballon d'Or. France Football magazine has announced the names of the potential winners, in which there is only one Italian, Inter Milan player Niccolò Barella. For Messi - the reigning world champion and the big outcast from the nominations in last year's edition - it could be the eighth win in his career, thus taking the lead over Cristiano Ronaldo, who is stuck at five wins and not on the shortlist for the first time since 2003. In the challenge for the coveted prize - the winner of which will be announced October 30 at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris - the Pulce will have to contend with Haaland. The Norwegian striker has scored 52 goals in 53 games in all competitions and his Manchester City side has won the "treble", meaning the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League titles. Looking at the list of thirty selected players, the only Italian player nominated is Niccolò Barella, who played in the final of last year's Champions League with Inter Milan. Present are a total of six players who have played or are playing in Serie A: the aforementioned Inter players Lautaro Martinez and Barella, their now former teammate Onana (now at Manchester United), and the three Neapolitans Kvaratskhelia, Osimhen and Kim Min-Jae, this year at Bayern Munich.