France Football have released the 30-player shortlist for the 2022 Ballon d’Or, which will crown the best individual male player of the 2021/22 season.
2021 recipient and seven-time former winner Lionel Messi does not feature for the first time in a very long time,
but hot favourite Karim Benzema is joined by the likes of Robert Lewandowski, Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, Kevin De Bruyne, Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland.
Cristiano Ronaldo also makes the cut after 24 club goals for Manchester United last season – his 18th nomination for the award, extending his own record.
Read Also: UEFA Men’s Player Of The Year 2021/22 Shortlist
More surprising inclusions on the shortlist are Luis Diaz, who only joined Liverpool in January,
and Darwin Nunez, who scored plenty of goals for Benfica but didn’t win any silverware.
Rafael Leao’s contributions to AC Milan’s first Serie A title since 2011 have been recognised, as have Christopher Nkunku’s excellent numbers for RB Leipzig. But both are massive outsiders.
2022 Ballon d’Or shortlist
Thibaut Courtois – Real Madrid
Rafael Leao – AC Milan
Christopher Nkunku – RB Leipzig
Mohamed Salah – Liverpool
Joshua Kimmich – Bayern Munich
Trent Alexander-Arnold – Liverpool
Vinicius Junior – Real Madrid
Bernardo Silva – Manchester City
Luis Diaz – Porto/Liverpool
Robert Lewandowski – Bayern
Munich/Barcelona
Riyad Mahrez – Manchester City
Casemiro – Real Madrid
Son Heung-min – Tottenham Hotspur
Fabinho – Liverpool
Karim Benzema – Real Madrid
Mike Maignan – AC Milan
Harry Kane – Tottenham Hotspur
Darwin Nunez – Benfica/Liverpool
Phil Foden – Manchester City
Sadio Mane – Liverpool/Bayern Munich
Sebastien Haller – Ajax/Borussia Dortmund
Luka Modric – Real Madrid
Antonio Rudiger – Chelsea/Real Madrid
Cristiano Ronaldo – Manchester United
Kevin De Bruyne – Manchester City
Dusan Vlahovic – Fiorentina/Juventus
Virgil van Dijk – Liverpool
Joao Cancelo – Manchester City
Kylian Mbappe – Paris Saint-Germain
Erling Haaland – Borussia
Dortmund/Manchester City
