For the first time, Lionel Messi, the outstanding player from Argentina, was not named to the Ballon d’Or shortlist, which also included Mohamed Salah, Cristiano Ronaldo, Robert Lewandowski, and Karim Benzema.
The 30 players competing for the prestigious prize in 2022 were revealed by France Football magazine on their website.
The Ballon d’Or, often known as the Golden Ball Award, is presented to the finest athlete in each sport.
Messi, a 35-year-old forward for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), has a record seven victories, including in 2021.
However, the former Barcelona star paid a hefty price for a disappointing debut season at Paris Saint-Germain by not receiving a nomination for the trophy for the first time since 2005.
Messi, who took home the trophy last year, has consistently been nominated since 2006 and, with the exception of 2018, had consistently appeared in the top three.
The Ballon d’Or no longer honors the best player over the course of a calendar year, which has also worked against the Argentine superstar.
Instead, theGazettteNGR learned it is determined by a season’s record that emphasizes “the individual performances” and the “decisive and remarkable nature” of the nominees.
Messi was unable to imprint his brilliance on a PSG squad that was in desperate need of a Champions League victory after departing Barcelona in the summer of 2021.
The eventual champion Real Madrid eliminated the French champions in the round of 16 to claim the title.
Messi only scored 11 goals for PSG in total, and the judges for the Ballon d’Or, which will be presented in Paris on October 17, were unimpressed by his mediocre club play.
Neymar, a Brazilian PSG star who had a season in which he scored 13 goals in 28 games, was also overlooked like Messi.
But among the other nominees were Liverpool winger Salah, Barcelona’s Lewandowski, Real Madrid’s Benzema, and Manchester United striker Ronaldo.
The 37-year-old Portuguese veteran Ronaldo has won five times, in 2008, 2013, 2014, 2016, and 2017. However, French striker Karim Benzema is the clear favorite after helping Real Madrid win their 14th Champions League championship.
With 15 goals in the European Championship, Benzema is set to join Raymond Kopa (1958), Michel Platini (1983, 1984, 1985), Jean-Pierre Papin (1991), and Zinedine Zidane as the fifth French winner (1998).
Benzema scored 44 goals in 46 games for a Madrid team that also won the Liga in 2021–2022, making 46 appearances.
The 34-year-old scored to give the Spanish giants a 2-0 win over Eintracht Frankfurt on Wednesday, giving him 324 goals overall.
Only Cristiano Ronaldo, with 450, is ahead of him on the club’s all-time list after that moved him ahead of Raul.
At the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris, the Ballon d’Or ceremony will take place on October 17.
30 contenders for the men’s award
Vinicius Junior, Casemiro, Karim Benzema, Luka Modric, Antonio Rudiger of Real Madrid, Rafael Leao, Mike Maignan of AC Milan, Christopher Nkunku of RB Leipzig, Mohamed Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Luis Diaz, Fabinho, Darwin Nunez, Virgil van Dijk of Liverpool, Joshua Kimmich, Sadio Mane of Bayern Munich, Bernardo Silva, Riyad Mahrez, Phil (Paris Saint-Germain)
Women nominees
The following women are listed in alphabetical order: Alexandra Popp, Lena Oberdorf (Wolfsburg), Aitana Bonmati, Asisat Oshoala, Fridolina Rolfo, Lucy Bronze, Alexia Putellas (Barcelona), Wendie Renard, Ada Hegerberg, Selma Bacha, Catarina Macario, Christiane Endler (Olympique Lyon), Alex Morgan (San Diego Wave), Beth Mea (Washington Spirit)
“Trophee Yachine” (Best Goalkeeper)
Alisson Becker of Liverpool, Thibaut Courtois of Real Madrid, Ederson of Manchester City, Yassine Bounou of Sevilla, Mike Maignan of AC Milan, Edouard Mendy of Chelsea, Manuel Neuer of Bayern Munich, Jan Oblak of Atletico Madrid, Kevin Trapp of Eintracht Frankfurt, and Hugo Lloris (Tottenham Hotspur)
“Trophee Kopa” (Best youngster)
Eduardo Camavinga of Real Madrid, Gavi of Barcelona, Ryan Gravenberch, Karim Adeyemi, Jude Bellingham of Borussia Dortmund, Jamal Musiala of Bayern Munich, Nuno Mendes of Paris Saint-Germain, Josko Gvardiol of RB Leipzig, Bukayo Saka of Arsenal, and Florian Wirtz (Bayer Leverkusen)
