Apparently, Karim Benzema has been seen as the favorite to win the 2022 Ballon D’or. Mainly because of his all-around statistics from the beginning of the season.
Of course, the Ballon D’or was awarded to Lionel Messi last season. As, Robert Lewandowski finished in 2nd position and Karim Benzema in 3rd position.
The France Football has officially announced that the Ballon D’or winner will be decided by season, and not yearly. Which means the Frenchman has the upper-hand to win the award.
Statistically speaking, Karim Benzema has won two trophies this season (Supercopa de España and La Liga), with 42 goals and 13 assists in 42 games. So, the French forward is the best candidate to win the 2022 Ballon D’or award, if he wins the UEFA Champions League.
Nevertheless, there are two players who could win the 2022 Ballon D’or instead of Karim Benzema. Of course, the player is doing great in all competitions this season. But, these two players may leapfrog him to win the award.
Real Madrid lost to Manchester City last week, in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League semi-finals. As a result, the La Liga side may not qualify for the UCL final this evening, so Benzema’s chances of winning the Ballon D’or are slim.
Having said that, the Carlo Ancelloti’s man will definitely play to win at Santiago Bernabéu Stadium today. Because, he knows failure to win the UEFA Champions League will jeopardize his chances of lifting the world’s best award.
Two Players Who Could Win The 2022 Ballon D’or Instead Of Karim Benzema:
Sadio Mané – Liverpool
The Senegalese could win the award instead of the Frenchman. Sadio Mané has literally won two trophies this year (AFCON and Carabao Cup).
Meanwhile, he’s on the verge of winning the English FA Cup, the UEFA Champions League, and possibly the Premier League. Which means he’s already ahead of the Real Madrid player.
Aside from that, Sadio Mané played a massive role in Liverpool’s UCL voyage this season. He registered 5 goals in 12 matches, having sealed the Reds’ performance against Villarreal yesterday.
With all that being said, Sadio Mané is very close to winning a quadruple in the 2021-2022 campaign. So, he’s most likely to win the 2022 Ballon D’or award, and he will be the latest African player to achieve such a feat in the world of football.
According to Transfermarket, the Senegalese forward has registered 24 goal contributions (21 goals, 3 assists) in 46 appearances for Liverpool this campaign. Of course, he doesn’t have the number of goals like Karim Benzema.
However, he’s on the verge of winning more trophies than him. As a result, the Frenchman may lose the Ballon D’or to Sadio Mané.
Mohamed Salah – Liverpool
The Egyptian wizard is most likely to win the award instead of the Carlo Ancellotti’s man. Apparently, Mohamed Salah has won the Carabao Cup with Liverpool. And currently in the FA Cup and UEFA Champions League finals.
Hence, the Jurgen Klopp’s men may win a treble this season (League Cup, FA Cup, and UCL). Meanwhile, the UEFA Champions League plays a massive role in winning the Ballon D’or award, so Karim Benzema may later miss out.
According to Transfermarket, Mohamed Salah is seriously making waves in the UCL. He had 10 goal contributions (8 goals, 2 assists) in 12 matches. Of course, he’s up with the Frenchman.
Aside from that, the Egyptian goal-machine has recorded 30 goals and 15 assists in all competitions for Liverpool this campaign. As a result, he’s most likely to win the 2022 Ballon D’or if he wins the UEFA Champions League.
In addition, Kylian Mbappe is also a candidate for the award, as he had 58 goal contributions (35 goals and 23 assists) in 43 matches for Paris Saint-Germain. But he’s already out of the UCL.
Kevin De Bruyne is also a strong candidate, but he doesn’t have the same number of goals as other players. Having said that, Mohamed Salah is most likely to win the 2022 Ballon D’or instead of Karim Benzema.
If the football fans could vote, I’d be voting for Karim Benzema.. I hope he wins