French football magazine’s Ballon d’Or award has been given to the best football players since 1956. For this, around 180 journalists from around the world voted for the winner.
The 66th edition of the annual Ballon d’Or award ceremony will take place today, where the award will be given to the best footballer of the year.
Which players have been nominated for the Ballon d’Or award?
The French football authorities have announced the nominations of 30 players for the best player of the year award. Among them are Trent Alexander-Arnold, Joao Cancelo, Casemiro, Kevin De Bruyne, Fabinho, Erling Holland, Sebastian Haller, Harry Kane, Joshua Kimmich, Riyad Mahrez, Mike Magnan, Darwin Nunez, Cristiano Ronaldo, Antonio Rudiger, Son Heung-min, Dessan Villahovic.
Karim Benzema, Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah, Robert Lewandowski, Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Jr., Luka Modric, Thibaut Courtois, Phil Foden, Trent Alexander, Arnold, Bernardo Silva, Christopher Nkunko, Luis Diaz, Thiago Alcantara, Virgil van Dijk, son Heung-min, Rhodri, Riyad Mahrez and Rafael Liu are included.
No nomination for 7-time Ballon d’Or award winner Messi
Lionel Messi’s name is not included in the nominations for the best players announced by the French football authorities.
Messi, a seven-time Ballon d’Or winner, scored just 11 goals in 34 appearances for Paris Saint-Germain last season and is believed to have been shortlisted for the Player of the Year award due to poor performances.
Which player is likely to win the Ballon d’Or award this year?
According to the report, 34-year-old French player Karim Benzema is said to be the favorite for the Ballon d’Or award among men.
Karim Benzema played a key role in Real Madrid winning the Champions League, scoring 44 goals last season. Benzema enjoys huge public support based on his excellent performances.
According to an online poll for the winner of the Ballon d’Or, 63.9% of people voted for Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema to win the award. Not only this, but some famous footballers have also called Karim Benzema deserving of this award, including Sadio Mane, Eden Hazard, and Vinicius Junior.
On the other hand, Barcelona’s Alexia Potellis is said to be entitled to the Ballon d’Or award among women footballers who have played an important role in bringing victory to Barcelona in 30 matches. It should be remembered that last year too, Alexia Potelis was awarded the best female footballer.
When is the Ballon d’Or ceremony?
The Ballon d’Or 2022 ceremony will be held in France on Monday, October 17. The event will begin at 7:30 pm at the Théâtre du Chatelet in Paris.
How can this event be watched online?
The event will be broadcast live on the L’Equipe YouTube channel, while the event will also be broadcast live on Paramount+.
