Gigi Buffon is one of thirty candidates to win the Golden Ball. After being inexplicably snubbed in the last edition, at the end of a season in which he came close to a treble, the Juve goalkeeper is back in contention for the prestigious award which, starting this year, is back to the old ways: only a jury of journalists and no longer the votes of captains and coaches of the various federations.
Buffon, who re-emerged brilliantly in the match against Lyon after too many criticisms and mistakes at the start of the season, will find himself in the company of two other teammates of his: Paulo Dybala, in its first nomination, e Gonzalo Higuain, pushed to the list above all by the first part of the season played with the Napoli shirt.
The coveted prize will be awarded on 13 December. Among the other candidates, as always, the names of the eternal favorites stand out: Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, who thanks to the victory of the Champions League and the European Championships seems to be the strongest candidate for victory. But who knows, with the return of the vote of journalists alone, perhaps the time has come for a surprise.