It is a page that turns in the history of football. Lionel Messi, the seven-time Ballon d’Or and double defending champion is not one of the 30 nominated for the 2022 Ballon d’Or, according to the list unveiled this Friday by France Football and L’Equipe that France Bleu was able to consult. The Argentinian midfielder from Paris Saint-Germain had been there continuously since the 2006 Ballon d’Or. The ceremony will take place on October 17 at the Châtelet theater in Paris.
His Brazilian teammate at PSG Neymar is also not part of the list of nominees, he who has been nine times in the last ten editions and who has twice finished in third position (2015 and 2017). Among the others missing for this Ballon d’Or 2022, we can note the notable absences of the French N’Golo Kante and Paul Pogba or the Italians Jorginho (3rd for the 2021 Ballon d’Or) and Gianluigi Donnaruma.
Four French in the running
The best French chances for this new edition of the Ballon d’Or will therefore be the attackers Kylian Mbappe (9th in the last Ballon d’Or) and above all Karim Benzema (4th in the last Ballon d’Or). At Real Madrid, “KB9” comes out of a season crowned with a Champions League and a Spanish championship. The Frenchman also won the UEFA Super Cup against Eintracht Frankfurt this year with Real Madrid.
Two other French people are among the 30 nominated for the 2022 Ballon d’Or, in the person of the AC Milan goalkeeper, Mike Maignan, and the RB Leipzig striker, Christopher Nkunku.
For the rest, the regulars will have their chance again this year since we find again, among others, Robert Lewandowski, Thibault Courtois, Kevin de Bruyne, Harry Kayne or even Riyad Mahrez and Erling Haaland. The eternal rival of Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo is also on the list. This is his 18th nomination, without interruption, since the Ballon d’Or 2004. Distinction he has won five times.
The three most represented clubs in this list are liverpool with seven nominations, Real Madridhe places six players among the nominees and Manchester City with six nominations as well. Paris Saint-Germain is only represented by Kylian MBappé. The French and the Portuguese are the most represented with four nominations for each country ahead of England, Germany and Brazil, which each have three nominees.
Women in the spotlight too
The ceremony on October 17 will award also a Women’s Ballon d’Oras has been the case since 2018, and for which the French Selma Bacha (OL), Kadidiatou Diani (PSG), Marie-Antoinette Katoto (PSG) and Wendie Renard (OL) are named. Frenchman Eduardo Camavinga (Real Madrid) is also nominated for the Kopa trophy for best young player. Goalkeepers Hugo Lloris (Tottenham) and Mike Maignan (AC Milan) are nominated for the Yachine trophy for best goalkeeper.
The complete list of the 30 nominees for the Ballon d’Or 2022:
Trent Alexander-Arnold (ENG, Liverpool), Karim Benzema (FRA, Real Madrid), Joao Cancelo (POR, Manchester City) – Casemiro (BRE, Real Madrid), Thibaut Courtois (BEL, Real Madrid), Cristiano Ronaldo (POR, Juventus then Manchester United), Kevin De Bruyne (BEL, Manchester City), Luis Diaz (COL, FC Porto then Liverpool), Fabinho (BRE, Liverpool), Phil Foden (ENG, Manchester City) – Erling Haaland (NOR, Borussia Dortmund then Manchester City) – Sébastien Haller (CIV, Ajax then Borussia Dortmund), Harry Kane (ANG, Tottenham), Joshua Kimmich (GER, Bayern Munich), Rafael Leao (POR, AC Milan), Robert Lewandowski (POL, Bayern Munich then FC Barcelona), Riyad Mahrez (ALG, Manchester City), Mike Maignan (FRA, AC Milan), Sadio Mané (SEN, Liverpool then Bayern Munich), Kylian Mbappé (FRA, ParisSG), Luka Modric (CRO, Real Madrid), Christopher Nkunku (FRA, RB Leipzig), Darwin Nuñez (URU, Benfica then Liverpool), Antonio Rüdiger (GER, Chelsea then Real Madrid), Mohamed Salah (EGY, Liverpool), Bernardo Silva (POR, Manchester City), Son Heung-min (CDS, Tottenham), Virgil van Dijk (HOL, Liverpool), Vinicius Jr (BRE, Real Madrid), Dusan Vlahovic (SER, Fiorentina then Juventus)