Lionel Messi absent from the list of 30 named, four French players present including favorite Karim Benzema

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New rules, new winner? In any case, this is what is anticipated for this new edition of the Ballon d’Or, the calendar of which is now modeled on the current season and no longer on the calendar year. Winner of the Champions League with Real, and top scorer in the competition with 15 goals, Karim Benzema is the big favorite to succeed Lionel Messi, winner of his seventh trophy last year. He is indeed part of the list of 30 nominated for the Ballon d’Or 2022, published Friday, August 12 in the evening.

Like his teammate Neymar, also not selected by the jury, the Argentinian will not be able to add an eighth Ballon d’Or to his list this year. Author of a disappointing first season with Paris Saint-Germain, Messi does not appear in a list that includes the name of his eternal rival Cristiano Ronaldo. But “CR7” will have a hard time pleading his case against a former teammate …

In total, they are still four to be able to claim the Grail among the French. Behind Benzema and theExpected Kylian Mbappé, Christopher Nkunku (Leipzig) and Mike Maignan (Milan), both sparkling in their club, know a first nomination.

The three most represented clubs are Real Madrid, winners of the last Champions League, Liverpool, finalists, and Manchester City, the English champions, with six players each (taking into account the summer transfers of Sadio Mané or Erling Haaland).

Before the revelation in dribs and drabs of this list, other French people found themselves in the spotlight, or rather other French women. Four Bleues are nominated for the Women’s Golden Ball, including Lyonnaises Selma Bacha and Wendie Renard as well as Parisians Marie-Antoinette Katoto and Kadidiatou Diani.

Eduardo Camavinga (Real Madrid), he is one of the selected for the Kopa Prize which rewards the best young person under 21, while, for the Yachine Trophy, that of the best goalkeeper, France will be represented by two doormen: Hugo Lloris (Tottenham) and Mike Maignan (AC Milan). Note the absence from this list of PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, winner of this trophy last year, and who undoubtedly paid for his mistake in the knockout stages of the Champions League against Real Madrid.

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, 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 (ENG, 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 MBAPPE (FRA, Paris-SG)
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 JUNIOR (BRE, Real Madrid)
Dusan VLAHOVIC (SER, Fiorentina then Juventus)


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