The 66th edition of the prestigious Ballon d'Or 2022 is all set to take place on Monday (October 17) at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris. Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, who have dominated the award for the last one and a half decades, are not in the race for the coveted prize this year. Let’s take a look at who is favourite to win the award and where to watch it live, including the award ceremony date and venue.
Who is expected to win the Ballon d'Or 2022 and the nominees
Argentine superstar Lionel Andres Messi, who has won the award a record seven times, didn't make the top 30 nominees. Cristiano Ronaldo, Messi's main rival and the five-time winner of the trophy, made the list but is not seen as one of the favourites this time.
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Real Madrid’s French forward Karim Benzema is overwhelmingly favourite to win the Ballon d'Or 2022 after an illuminating season with Real Madrid. Benzema was a pivotal figure for the Spanish giants in winning both La Liga and the UEFA Champions League in the 2021–2022 season. Had Benzema not been a part of the Madrid side, they wouldn’t have won any trophies last season. Karim is likely to become the first Frenchman to win the award since the great Zinedine Zidane won it in 1998.
Liverpool’s Egyptian forward Mohamed Salah, Manchester City’s midfielder Kevin de Bruyne, Bayern Munich’s Sadio Mane, and Benzema’s Real Madrid colleagues Vinicius Junior and Thibaut Courtois are among the favourites to finish in the top three in the list.
Mohamed Salah had a great season with English club Liverpool in the 2021–2022 season, netting 31 goals in 51 matches. He helped Liverpool to win three trophies: the FA Cup, the EFL Cup and the Community Shield. Sadio Mane was a pivotal figure for Liverpool in their attacking half last season. He netted 23 goals in 51 appearances for the Reds.
On the other hand, Manchester City's Kevin de Bruyne has been the best midfielder in the Premier League in the last few seasons. Real Madrid's Thibaut Courtois was brilliant under the goalpost and was one of their main star players in the 2021–2022 season. Besides, Vinicius Junior has become a real revolution for Madrid since last season.
The players who have nominated for the Ballon d’or 2022 award
Thibaut Courtois (Belgium, Real Madrid), Rafael Leao (Portugal, AC Milan), Christopher Nkunku (France, RB Leipzig), Karim Benzema (France, Real Madrid), Riyad Mahrez (Algeria, Manchester City), Casemiro (Brazil, Real Madrid), Heung-Min Son (South Korea, Tottenham), Fabinho (Brazil, Liverpool), Kylian Mbappe (France, Paris Saint-Germain), Mohamed Salah (Egypt, Liverpool), Joshua Kimmich (Germany, Bayern Munich), Trent Alexander-Arnold (England, Liverpool), Vinicius Junior (Brazil, Real Madrid), Bernardo Silva (Portugal, Manchester City), Luis Diaz (Colombia, Liverpool), Robert Lewandowski (Poland, Barcelona), Mike Maignan (France, AC Milan), Harry Kane (England, Tottenham Hotspur), Darwin Nunez (Uruguay, Liverpool), Phil Foden (England, Manchester City), Sadio Mane (Senegal, Bayern Munich), Sebastien Haller (Ivory Coast, Borussia Dortmund), Luka Modric (Croatia, Real Madrid), Antonio Rudiger (Germany, Real Madrid), Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal, Manchester United), Kevin De Bruyne (Belgium, Manchester City), Erling Haaland (Norway, Manchester City), Virgil van Dijk (Netherlands, Liverpool), Dusan Vlahovic (Serbia, Juventus), Joao Cancelo (Portugal, Manchester City)
Apart from the Ballon d'Or for men, the French Football magazine also gives awards for other categories. The most notable ones are: the best female player, the best goalkeeper, and the best young player of the previous season.
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Who is the favourite to win the Ballon d'Or Feminin 2022?
Twenty female footballers have been nominated for the prestigious award. Barcelona’s Spanish midfielder, Alexia Putellas, is the favourite to win the Ballon d’Or Feminin 2022 award. Beth Mead, the champion of the EURO 2022 tournament for England; Sam Kerr, an Australian forward for Chelsea; Wendie Reynard, a French defender for Lyon; and Ada Hegerberg, a Norwegian forward, are all among the favourites to win the award.
Who has the edge to take home the Kopa Trophy 2022?
The Kopa Trophy has been given to a player who is under the age of 21 since 2018. Kylian Mbappe, Matthijs de Ligt and Pedri were the previous winners. 10 players have been nominated for this year’s award, with 3 German representatives in the list.
Borussia Dortmund’s English midfielder Jude Bellingham is currently the top favourite to win the Kopa Trophy 2022 after a stellar performance with the club last season. Besides Real Madrid’s Eduardo Camavinga, Barcelona’s Gavi, Paris Saint-Germain’s Nuno Mendes and Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka are among the favourites.
Who has the best chances to win the Yashin Trophy 2022?
The Yashin Trophy has been awarded to the best goalkeeper of the previous season since 2019. Brazil’s Alisson and Italy’s Gianluigi Donnarumma were the past winners. Ten players have been nominated for this year’s award, where Real Madrid’s Thibaut Courtois is a strong favourite to win it. Besides, Alisson and Edouard Mendy also have a fair chance to win the Yashin Trophy 2022.
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When will the 66th edition of the Ballon d'Or take place?
The 2022 Ballon d'Or award ceremony will be held in the evening on October 17 (Monday) in France, which is 12.30 a.m. (Bangladesh Standard Time) on Tuesday. The event will take place at the famous Theatre du Chatelet in Paris.
Where to watch the 2022 Ballon d'Or live?
The 2022 Ballon d'Or award ceremony will be broadcast live on France's leading sporting daily newspaper, L'Equipe’s YouTube channel, and website.
L'Equipe YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyIV8rkza5Uk_sJIhqilBvQ
L'Equipe website: https://www.lequipe.fr/
Verdict
The nominees for the annual award ceremony of the French Football magazine were revealed on August 12. Karim Benzema's winning the Ballon d'Or 2022 is all but guaranteed after a standout 2021–2022 season with Spanish powerhouse Real Madrid. Therefore, the main attraction would be to see who made the podium (top 3).
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