Ballon d’Or Contenders: France Football, a French news magazine, just put out a list of the 30 people who are up for the prestigious Ballon d’Or award, know the 2022 top 3 rankings
There are some surprising names on this year’s list, and there are also some important ones that aren’t there.
Lionel Messi, who won the Ballon d’Or last year, is one of the players who didn’t make the list. Rafael Leao, on the other hand, is on the list for the first time.
Every football player’s biggest dream is to win the Ballon d’Or, which is the sport’s top individual award. This year, big names like Kevin De Bruyne, Karim Benzema, and Mohamed Salah are in the running for the Ballon d’Or. So, let’s look at the 10 players who are most likely to win the Ballon d’Or this year.
Ballon d’Or 2022 Top 3 Power Rankings, Nominees List, Favorite, Prediction
10. Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool)
Trent Alexander-Arnold had another great year with Liverpool in the 2021-22 season. Last season, in all competitions, he had 22 assists and scored four goals.
He was an important part of the Merseyside team and was a big reason why they won the FA Cup and the Carabao Cup. Alexander-Arnold may not be the best fullback in terms of defence, but he is one of the best when it comes to offence.
9. Luka Modric (Real Madrid)
Real Madrid won both the La Liga and the Champions League last season, which was a return to their best form. Luka Modric stood out as usual in the middle of the field.
The Croatian midfielder proved that age doesn’t matter by scoring seven goals and setting up 14 others for Los Blancos last season. Luka Modric won the Ballon d’Or in 2018, and he’s in the running to win it again this year.
8. Vinicius Junior (Real Madrid)
The 2021–22 season was a big one for Vinicius Junior. The Brazilian’s consistent play all season long surprised everyone and went against all expectations. He helped Real Madrid win the Champions League, La Liga, and Supercopa de Espaa by scoring 22 goals and setting up 19 more.
He even scored the goal that won the Champions League final, giving Santiago Bernabeu its first European title in four years.
7. Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City)
In the last few years, De Bruyne has been a big name in the world of football because of how well he has played in the middle for Manchester City and Belgium.
The Belgian midfielder had one of his best years ever last year. He helped Manchester City win the Premier League for the second year in a row by scoring 21 goals and setting up 18 others.
6. Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
The Liverpool player may not have any major titles to show for his work last season, since his team lost the Premier League on the last day of the season and the Champions League final.
Salah was still one of the biggest players in the world last season. In all competitions, he scored 33 goals and set up 19 others to end another great season on Merseyside.
The Top 5 Names On The List Of Ballon d’Or Contenders
5. Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint Germain)
Kylian Mbappe didn’t win the Champions League or Euro 2020, but he still had a great season. He was the only player in world football last season to score 30+ goals and provide 30+ assists.
Mbappe also won the UEFA Nations League with France, giving him a second international trophy. Even though Mbappe isn’t the favourite to win the Ballon d’Or this year, he could be the most likely winner in 2023 if he keeps playing well and France wins the World Cup.
4. Robert Lewandowski (FC Barcelona)
Last time, Robert Lewandowski came very close to taking home the Ballon d’Or. Even so, he scored dozens of goals and had another perfect season.
In all competitions, the Polish forward scored 57 goals and set up 12 others. He also scored the most goals in the Bundesliga and helped FC Bayern win both the Bundesliga and Super Cup. Lewandowski has moved to FC Barcelona and hopes to keep scoring goals there.
3. Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid)
Thibaut Courtois was an underrated hero for Real Madrid in 2021/22. The Belgian goalie made some incredible saves in important games that helped Real Madrid get through some scary times.
His performance in the Champions League final stands out in particular. Last season, he helped Real Madrid win the Champions League, La Liga, and Supercopa de Espaa. He had 23 clean sheets.
2. Sadio Mane (Bayern Munich)
Sadio Mane did well both for his club and for his country last season. He was a big part of the success of both Senegal and Liverpool with his consistent play throughout the season.
He won the Africa Cup of Nations with Senegal and the FA Cup and the Carabao Cup with Liverpool. Mane had another great season in which he scored 33 goals and set up five others.
1. Karim Benzema (Real Madrid)
Last season, Karim Benzema’s play was the best example of how to be consistent. The French forward won the Nations League at the beginning of last season and the Champions League at the end.
He won four trophies with both his club and his country. He was the driving force behind the success of both of his teams. Benzema is the favourite to win the Ballon d’Or 2022 because he consistently scores clutch goals. He scored 48 goals and had 15 assists last season.
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