The Ballon d'Or is football's most prestigious individual award, and the nominees for the 2022 edition have been announced.
The Ballon d'Or is football's most prestigious individual award, and the nominees for the 2022 edition have been announced. This year's gala will be place on October 17th, and Karim Benzema leads the list of 30 nominees as the overwhelming favourite to win this year's accolade. There appears to be agreement on who should win the Ballon d'Or in 2022. There is every reason to consider Benzema the favourite, given that he was the star of Real Madrid's LaLiga Santander, Spanish Super Cup, and Champions League triumphs last season.
With 44 goals and 15 assists across all competitions, it was his finest season in terms of goals and assists.
Other articles:
The Ballon d'Or is being awarded differently this year. As of 2022, the award will no longer be presented based on calendar-year success, but rather on the football season. In other words, only the 2021/22 campaign, during which Benzema excelled, will be considered.
The striker, though, is not the only Real Madrid or LaLiga player to have been nominated. The Frenchman is one of seven hopefuls vying for a spot in LaLiga Santander. His colleagues Thibaut Courtois, Vinicius, Casemiro, Luka Modric, and Antonio Rudiger are also among the 30 contenders. FC Barcelona's latest addition, Robert Lewandowski, is also nominated.
If Benzema or another LaLiga Santander player wins the Ballon d'Or this year, it will further cement Spanish football's domination in this honour. According to the prize's history, the winner has been a member of a LaLiga Santander club on 23 occasions. The Serie A has 18 winners, the Bundesliga has nine, and the Premier League has six.
Looking only at the twenty-first century, 15 of the 21 champions have played for a Spanish club during the year of their victory. That was the case with Ronaldo Nazario (Real Madrid, 2002), Ronaldinho (FC Barcelona, 2005), Fabio Cannavaro (Real Madrid, 2006), Lionel Messi (FC Barcelona, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, and 2021), Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid, 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2017), and Luka Modric (Real Madrid, 2013–2014, 2016–2017). (Real Madrid, 2018).
Benzema aspires to become the eighth different Real Madrid player to win the Ballon d'Or and the seventh different LaLiga Santander player to win it this century. Given his performances last season, he'll most likely be delivering the trophy to Real Madrid fans at the Bernabeu in a few months.
Source link: Sports Live
