The Mero era began in 2008, when Ronaldo won the European Ballon d'Or, which opened Melo's 10-year monopoly on the Ballon d'Or. In 2018, Modric won the award and broke Melo's monopoly, but just when everyone thought that the Mero era was over, Messi actually won it three more times. Although Benzema also won awards during this period, it did not completely end this era, after all, Messi won another award in 2023. Many people say that in recent years, Messi's honor has crushed Ronaldo, so if you mention the Mero era, it feels a bit like touching Ronaldo, but after all, Mero has been tied together for more than ten years, and it can't erase Ronaldo's early glory.
And now, the Mero era can finally be declared over, and both have left European football, and it is impossible to make waves again. I don't believe that the 2024 Ballon d'Or will be awarded to Messi. So here's the problem, the 2024 Ballon d'Or will be the first Ballon d'Or in the post-Mero era. So, who will win the prize?
At the moment, only two people are possible.
In fact, if Haaland could have won the award, he would have won it a long time ago ago. Winning the treble and breaking the Premier League Golden Boot record, such a performance is still not worth a Hercules Cup. Regret is regret, but facts are facts, in short, Haaland was deprived of the best chance to win by Messi. And this season, although Haaland's performance cannot be said to be bad, at least it is far worse than last year. In addition, Manchester City exited the Champions League ahead of schedule, so if Haaland wants to win the award, it is better to wait a few more years.
Looking at the performances so far in the 23-24 season, perhaps only Mbappe and Bellingham have a chance to be the man.
In fact, so far this season, in terms of individual performance, there are really not many competitors between Mbappe and Bellingham. First of all, Bellingham came to La Liga for the first time, and he came up with top data, as a midfielder, he actually ranked first in the scorer list, and the most important thing is that Bellingham, who is only 20 years old, has shown the characteristics of Mr. Big Field, and has played well in the Champions League and national derby, which is particularly rare. Mbappe's performance in the first half of the season was a little mediocre, but in the second half of the season, he began to exert his strength, and he has repeatedly become a key man in the Champions League, and is currently at the top of the Champions League scorer list.
As for the rest of the teams, Bayer Leverkusen have played bravely this season, but on the one hand, the Bundesliga clearly does not have an advantage in the competition for the Ballon d'Or, and on the other hand, Bayer Leverkusen has performed well overall, but it is difficult to say which player stands out in particular, at least, Wirtz cannot afford to carry the Ballon d'Or.
Finally, let's look at one more factor, Euro 2024. It can be said that the players who performed well in this European Championship have an absolute advantage in the competition for the Ballon d'Or at the end of the year. The two strongest teams in European football are France and England. Therefore, it cannot be ruled out that Bellingham or Mbappe can go to the end and achieve the great feat of winning the championship. Even if you can't win the championship, if you can come up with excellent data and performance, it is a big plus.
To be honest, Melo's monopoly on the Golden Globes has been a bit too long. And the awards of Modric and Benzema are not too thirst-quenching. Now, Melo is finally away from European football and will no longer be involved in the Ballon d'Or, so this era is finally over, a new era is coming, and we will soon be able to witness the European Footballer of the Year who fired the first shot of the new era. Do you think this person is Mbappe, or Bellingham, or is it possible for someone else?