The 2022 Ballon d’Or will be awarded next Monday in Paris and it will be the 66th edition of the annual ceremony which is presented by monthly publication France Football. The prestigious prize recognizes the best soccer players in the world from the 2021-22 period and like last year, the ceremony will take place at Theatre du Chatelet.
Men’s titleholder and seven-time winner Lionel Messi has not been nominated for this year’s award which is the first time since 2005 that the Argentina and Paris Saint-Germain star does not make the cut. France and Real Madrid superstar Karim Benzema is expected to triumph here while women’s defending champion Alexia Putellas of Barcelona could successfully retain her crown.
Here is our refresher on the rules, how you can tune in to the ceremony and more:
How to watch
- Date: Monday, Oct. 17 | Time: 2:30 p.m. ET
- Location: Theatre du Chatelet — Paris, France
- TV and live stream: Paramount+
- Favorites towin: Karim Benzema and Alexia Putellas
Voting and rule changes
This year’s nominees were unveiled on August 12, and it will be the first time that the results are decided based upon what was achieved during a season and not an entire calendar year. The new formula is designed to cover the most critical sporting period with a sharpened jury, tighter selection process and clearer award criteria.
France Football have specified that “individual performances” and “decisive and impressive character of contenders” will be the leading criteria ahead of “the collective aspect and trophies won” as well as “the player’s class and sense of fair play.”
Awards
This year’s awards include the men’s Ballon d’Or which was won by Messi last year but cannot be defended by him this time around. There is also the women’s Ballon d’Or which could be won by Spain and Barcelona’s Putellas for the second consecutive year. Barca’s Pedri is the holder of the Kopa Trophy for best young men’s player while PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma was the latest recipient of the Yashin Trophy.
Nominees for Ballon d’Or and Ballon d’Or Feminin
Ballon d’Or: Trent Alexander-Arnold (ENG, Liverpool): Karim Benzema (FRA, Real Madrid); Joao Cancelo (POR, Manchester City); Casemiro (BRA, Real Madrid); Thibaut Courtois (BEL, Real Madrid); Cristiano Ronaldo (POR, Manchester United); Kevin de Bruyne (BEL, Manchester City); Luis Diaz (COL, FC Porto/Liverpool); Fabinho (BRA, Liverpool); Phil Foden (ENG, Manchester City); Erling Haaland (NOR, Borussia Dortmund/Manchester City); Sebastien Haller (CIV, Ajax/Borussia Dortmund); Harry Kane (ENG, Tottenham); Joshua Kimmich (GER, Bayern Munich); Rafael Leao (POR, AC Milan); Robert Lewandowski (POL, Bayern Munich/FC Barcelona); Riyad Mahrez (ALG, Manchester City); Mike Maignan (FRA, AC Milan); Sadio Mane (SEN, Liverpool/Bayern Munich); Kylian Mbappe (FRA, PSG); Luka Modric (CRO, Real Madrid); Christopher Nkunku (FRA, RB Leipzig); Darwin Nunez (URU, Benfica/Liverpool); Antonio Rudiger (GER, Chelsea/Real Madrid); Mohamed Salah (EGY, Liverpool); Bernardo Silva (POR, Manchester City); Heung-Min Son (KOR, Tottenham); Virgil Van Dijk (NED, Liverpool); Vinicius Junior (BRA, Real Madrid); Dusan Vlahovic (SER, Fiorentina/Juventus)
Ballon d’Or Feminin: Selma Bach (France, Lyon); Aitana Bonmati (Spain, Barcelona); Millie Bright (England, Chelsea); Lucy Bronze (England, Manchester City/Barcelona); Kadidiatou Diani (France, PSG); Christiane Endler (Chile, Lyon); Ada Hegerberg (Norway, Lyon); Marie-Antoinette Katoto (France, PSG); Sam Kerr (Australia, Chelsea); Catarina Macario (USA, Lyon); Beth Mead (England, Arsenal); Vivianne Miedema (Netherlands, Arsenal); Alex Morgan (USA, Orlando Pride/San Diego Wave); Lena Oberdorf (Germany, Wolfsburg); Asisat Oshoala (Nigeria, Barcelona); Alexandra Popp (Germany, Wolfsburg); Alexia Putellas (Spain, Barcelona); Wendie Renard (France, Lyon); Trinity Rodman (USA, Washington Spirit); Fridolina Rolfo (Sweden, Barcelona).
Prediction
It has felt for a while like Benzema winning the men’s prize is a foregone conclusion after his latest UEFA Champions League title with Real. Truly, there are few other credible contenders with stronger cases than this year. As for the women’s, Putellas may well end up with back-to-back titles despite her injury. It would not only be the first time in the award’s history. She would also become the all-time most-titled female Ballon d’Or winner.
