According to records, surely, the winner of the Ballon d'Or 2022 will be announced on October 17 this year, two months earlier than usual. This is an annual award given by the French magazine France Football to the player with the best performance in a calendar year. On that note, let's take a look at the Top 5 most popular players for the current Ballon d'Or 2022 title (August 2022).
1. Karim Benzema (France / Real Madrid)
And Benzema has been in impressive form for Los Blancos in the knockout stages of the Champions League 2021-22. His incredible performances include hat-tricks against PSG and Chelsea in the round of 16 and quarter-finals respectively, before scoring twice against Manchester City in the semi-finals.
It is worth noting that he has scored goals in matches with all three of the above teams. Benzema finished the 2021-22 season with 44 goals and 15 assists in 46 appearances in all competitions for coach Carlo Ancelotti's men last season. He is also the top scorer of La Liga in the 2021-22 season with 27 goals in 32 appearances.
2. Sadio Mane (Senegal / Bayern Munich)
Sadio Mane struggled in the first half of the 2021-22 season. But he returned to his best form after the transition of the campaign. The attacking player is back to being himself and has achieved incredible form for both club and country in 2022. He helped Senegal win the 2021 CAN and was named Player of the Year. best in the tournament.
Mane also brought his hometown team to the 2022 World Cup. When he returned to Liverpool, he switched to a central position and eventually became a pretty solid factor at that time. Mane finished the 2021-22 season with 23 goals and five assists in 51 appearances in all competitions for Jurgen Klopp's side last season.
The 30-year-old was also recently named CAF Player of the Year. He also played a key role for Liverpool in their FA Cup and League Cup winning streak. With all these achievements, Mane is a leading candidate for the 2022 Ballon d'Or. He joined Bayern Munich from Liverpool earlier this summer in a contract worth 32 million euros.
3. Kylian Mbappe (France / Paris Saint-Germain)
As we know that Kylian Mbappe's stats from the 2021-22 season are enough to get him a spot on the podium to receive the Ballon d'Or. In 46 appearances in all competitions for Paris Saint-Germain, Mbappe has scored 39 goals and provided 26 assists. He has established himself as the most feared striker in Europe right now.
Surely he has found a way to influence almost every game he has played and is always prolific with his goal contributions. However, like Lewandowski, Mbappe's chances of winning the Ballon d'Or are limited as he only won the Ligue 1 title in his trophy collection last season.
4. Vinicius (Brazil / Real Madrid)
The Brazilian star, Vinicius has really signaled his arrival on the big stage in the 2021-22 season. He has continued to develop from his days as a nimble talent who fanned the flames of enthusiasm and doubled down on his strengths to become one of Europe's best strikers. Vinicius has been in phenomenal form for Real Madrid last season.
Vini is confident in his stride when being blocked by defenders every time he has the ball. The Brazilian winger also has a great partnership with Karim Benzema and the duo has helped Real Madrid dominate La Liga. In 52 appearances in all competitions in the 2021-22 season, Vinicius scored 22 goals and provided 20 assists.
He also scored the only goal in the Champions League final for Real Madrid against Liverpool and played a key role in making Los Blancos European champions. Vinicius was a key link in the Los Blancos squad that won La Liga last season. The 22-year-old must be a top contender to win this year's World Ballon d'Or.
5. Robert Lewandowski (Poland / Barcelona)
He is now at Barca, Robert Lewandowski received the second European Golden Shoe in a row in the 2021-22 season, when he scored 35 goals for Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga. He is the top scorer in Europe to date with 50 goals and seven assists in 46 appearances in all competitions this past term.
Lewandowski also played an important role in helping Poland secure a place in the 2022 World Cup. The 33-year-old scored a goal in the World Cup Play-off final against Sweden, and the contributions of He was very important in helping Bayern Munich win the Bundesliga title.
In addition, with only the Bundesliga title in his collection this year, Lewandowski may once again be unable to win the Ballon d'Or. Lewandowski also mentioned a move to Barcelona from Bayern Munich earlier this summer in a deal worth 45 million euros and he's now performing wonders.
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