3 Arsenal players who are in the Ballon d'Or conversation

One of the reasons why Arsenal are top of the Premier League and in the Champions League final is that they are a collective team, not a team of individuals. Mikel Arteta has moved on from those individuals, such as Mesut Özil and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, to create a better collective.

Thierry Henry and Dennis Bergkamp came close to winning the Ballon d'Or when they played for Arsenal. However, this current Gunners side does not have a standout star, which is one of the reasons why they have been so effective.

The winner of the Ballon d'Or often goes to an attacking player who has contributed significantly to their side winning a major trophy. If the Gunners go on to win the league and claim European glory, then some of their players should be in contention. However, they will not likely be forward players.

Viktor Gyökeres has done well this season, but his numbers could have been better. Therefore, he is an unlikely contender for the Ballon d'Or. Players such as Declan Rice, Gabriel, and David Raya deserve to be in the conversation.

Declan Rice has become one of the world’s defining midfielders

One of Arteta's mistakes against West Ham was moving Rice to right-back when Ben White came off injured. However, he made amends by moving Rice back into midfield after Cristhian Mosquera came on.

Rice is the heartbeat of this Arsenal team and has lived up to the £105 million that they paid West Ham for his services. The all-action midfielder is a threat from dead-ball scenarios, and the Gunners would not be where they are without him.

He would want more goals, but has still managed to find the back of the net five times with 11 assists in 53 games in all competitions so far this season. Rice is a leader and has worn the amband on a couple of occasions this campaign

Midfielders are often overlooked, but Rodri did win the Ballon d'Or in 2024 after Manchester City had won the treble. If Arsenal do the double this season, then Rice's chances at the awards ceremony will be boosted.

Gabriel deserves more recognition as one of Europe’s elite defenders

Arsenal's team has been built on a solid defence, and Gabriel is key to this. The Gunners missed him when he was out with a hamstring problem. His injury coincided with Arteta's side losing to Aston Villa and drawing with Chelsea.

The Brazilian and William Saliba have formed an incredible partnership at the back. Gabriel also grabs the headlines for being a threat in the opposition box from set-pieces. In this campaign, he has scored three goals with four assists in 30 Premier League games.

Defenders never get the recognition they deserve, as they are not as entertaining to watch as attacking players. Fabio Cannavaro, back in 2006, was the last defender to win the Ballon d'Or.

David Raya’s performances show the Ballon d'Or bias against goalkeepers

Raya has more than proved that Arteta was right when dropping Aaron Ramsdale in favor of the Spaniard. This was a decision which at the time was met by much criticism.

Raya is far better with his feet, and an excellent shot stopper as he proved when denying West Ham's Mateus Fernandes and Taty Castellanos at the weekend. Those saves may have won Arsenal the Premier League.

Raya's record this season:

Goalkeepers have little to no chance of winning the Ballon d'Or. Lev Yashin was the last one to win in, and that was back in 1963. However, Gianluigi Buffon did come second to Cannavaro in 2006. Therefore, Raya has a very slim chance of claiming the award.

Why Arsenal players still face an uphill battle in Ballon d'Or voting

The duopoly of Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo winning the Ballon d'Or is over, but it will still be difficult for an Arsenal player to win it.

Attacking players almost always claim the award; Karim Benzema and Ousmane Dembele have both won the award recently. The Gunners do not have a standout forward. Gyökeres has underperformed this campaign, scoring 14 goals in 34 Premier League games. Arsenal fans were hoping for more. Bukayo Saka is perhaps the biggest star in Arsenal's roster, but he has missed a large section of the season through injury.

This year is also one in which the World Cup will take place. Therefore, even if Arsenal go on to win the Premier League and the Champions League, the award could still go to the best player at the World Cup this summer.

Arsenal now have multiple players worthy of elite recognition

Winning the Ballon d'Or is an individual award in a team game. Therefore, many players say that it is not on their mind, but it will be in the background. Of the Arsenal players listed, their focus is on winning the Premier League and the Champions League.

Also, they would never have thought they would be in contention to win the Ballon d'Or. Rice was released by Chelsea as a youngster and had to come through the ranks at West Ham. Raya started his career at Blackburn Rovers and was even sent on loan to Southport in the Conference League.

Gabriel began life as a soccer player at the little-known Brazilian club Avaí before getting his chance with Lille. Even when he was at Lille, he was sent on loan to Troyes and Dynamo Zagreb.

It is a credit to Arteta that he has moulded a team with no superstars. Rice, Gabriel, and Raya are all core to his group and still deserve to be in contention for the Ballon d'Or.

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