The Ballon d’Or award ceremony is finally upon us and Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema is the overwhelming favourite to win for the first time.
With voting now based on performances over a season rather than the calendar year, Benzema’s role in leading Real Madrid to LaLiga and Champions League glory means that he is expected to scoop football’s most prestigious individual prize.
The Frenchman scored 15 goals in Europe last season, including hat-tricks against Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea, as well as enjoying his best ever LaLiga campaign as he helped Carlo Ancelotti’s side to the double.
It’s no surprise therefore that Benzema is the long odds-on favourite to win the award, ahead of Erling Haaland, whose incredible start to life at Manchester City leaves him in good shape for next year’s voting.
Liverpool duo Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk are both 25/1 in the betting, with the Reds taking their bid for an historic quadruple into the final days of last season.
Many expected Robert Lewandowski to win last year’s Ballon d’Or but he finished second to Lionel Messi, who picked up the award for a seventh time. The Argentine is not even on the 30-man shortlist this time, while Lewandowski is not expected to be in the running.
Cristiano Ronaldo, Phil Foden and Trent Alexander-Arnold are among the Premier League stars who have been nominated, but are unlikely to finish too high up in the voting.
Ballon d’Or 2022 odds
Karim Benzema - 1/33
Erling Haaland - 12/1
Kylian Mbappe - 16/1
Mohamed Salah - 25/1
Virgil van Dijk - 25/1
Robert Lewandowski - 33/1
Kevin De Bruyne - 33/1
Harry Kane - 33/1
Vinicius Junior - 33/1
Sadio Mane - 33/1
Cristiano Ronaldo - 40/1
Trent Alexander-Arnold - 40/1
Luis Diaz - 40/1
Phil Foden - 66/1
