Jude Bellingham looks in waiting for the Ballon d'Or winner. Photo: AP/Pablo Garcia
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Men's Star: Endric (Real Madrid and Brazil)
All eyes will be on Endrick when he officially joins Real Madrid in July 2024 for an initial fee of €35 million (£35 million). 26 million), which could rise to 70 million euros when he turns 18. The Brazilian striker is hardly an unknown quantity – he has won every competition possible at underage level in his home country and recently led Palmeiras to the league title – but he has yet to play in Europe. He is expected to follow in the footsteps of Vinicius Jr and Rodrigo, two Brazilians who joined Madrid before they turned 18 and who are now international stars.
An honorable mention must go to Manchester City striker Joel Ndala, who shone for England in their disappointing Under-17 World Cup campaign and is wanted by a host of top clubs. It remains to be seen what City's plans for the 17-year-old are.
Men's Player of the Year: Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid and England)
The mantle of the best player in the world appears to be a straight shootout between Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappe and Englishman Jude Bellingham. That could depend on whether Manchester City can retain the Premier League and Champions League, or how France and England perform at next summer's European Championships.
Currently, given his outstanding exploits at Real Madrid, the standout candidate is Bellingham, with the midfielder sure to hit his stride in 2024 for club and country. The 20-year-old has already won both top prizes as the best young player in the world and his current trajectory will sooner or later lead him to the Ballon d'Or.
Women's breakthrough star: Khadijah Shaw (Manchester) City and Jamaica)
It took Shaw a while to find her feet when she arrived at Manchester City in the summer of 2021, but this season has established herself as a scoring sensation. She scored a hat-trick in 37 minutes against Tottenham last month and is the WSL's top scorer with nine goals in as many matches.
Khadija Shaw's goal gave Manchester City victory in the fight for the WSL title. Photo: Getty Images/Lewis Storey Women's Player of the Year: Lauren James (Chelsea and England)
Following her outstanding performances at last summer's World Cup, where she memorably ran riot in the Lionesses' 6-1 group stage demolition of China, James can be expected to reach even greater heights in 2024. A strong baller and an instinctive striker, the technically gifted 22-year-old had to bide her time when she joined Chelsea two seasons ago, but under coach Emma Hayes she has developed into a lethal forward.
What you're looking forward to most: The Premier League title race
We hope to see a wider field than just two clubs vying for top spot every season, and this campaign looks to be delivering that. The situation looks incredibly wide open midway through the match with champions Manchester City having already lost three games. Liverpool and Arsenal are rivals, while Aston Villa are proving to be the disruptors this year and Tottenham Hotspur are looking to get their act together.
It looks like the Premier League's claim that “any team can beat any team” is finally being borne out a little more consistently, and that makes the competition even more exciting. Let it be a long period – and let the number of goals we see this season be the last.
Euro winner: England
Given that this is a knockout competition subject to vagaries, it's almost impossible to predict… but here we go, let's be optimistic: England. Gareth Southgate's side are well placed to succeed in Germany. They will likely have to beat France in the semi-finals, with Les Blais looking to be another top team in the tournament. It would be foolish to rule out hosts Germany, while Roberto Martinez's Portugal looks very dangerous. But England are a formidable team with world class players in Harry Kane and Bellingham. If both are fit and ready to fire, England will be extremely difficult to beat.
Can England end the 58-year wait for major silverware in Germany next summer? Photo: Getty Images/Frank Augstein Premier League Winner: Manchester City
It may all go wrong this time, but it's still hard to look beyond Manchester City when it comes to winning the Premier League. Despite the “crisis” ahead of their exit to the Club World Cup, where they have won once in five league matches, they are still just five points off the top of the table. There is a problem. City are too reliant on Haaland at the moment and his leg injury will be a concern as it looks like it could recur.
They also lack the creativity around him as they did last season, with Pep Guardiola packing his team with full-backs at times. Having said that, they are obviously still the best team in the Premier League and capable of blowing away their opponents. But they don't look as dominant as they used to, and there is some vulnerability about them.
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