The countdown to the Ballon d'Or 2022 has begun, with new rules unveiled - which may jeopardize Lionel Messi's aspirations for an eighth award.

The famous trophy will be awarded for the preceding season, rather than a calendar year, beginning in 2022, with the ceremony rescheduled for the autumn. In the future, only 100 journalists from FIFA's top-ranked century of nations will be able to vote, while a journalist from the top 50 will vote for the women's prize.

We're halfway into the 2021/22 season, and the Ballon d'Or favorites list is already taking shape...Mohamed Salah is ranked first in the Premier League with a score of 3/1.

Salah Mohamed (Image credit: Getty)

Mohamed Salah has developed into the best player in the Premier League this season.

Salah scored 16 goals in 21 Premier League games before representing Egypt at the Africa Cup of Nations, where he placed second and scored crucial goals. He's also scored eight goals in his first seven Champions League games, and with Liverpool poised to make a deep run in Europe, that total can only rise.With the Ballon d'Or shifting to focus more on a player's achievements over a single season, Liverpool fans are hopeful that their Egyptian King will become only the second African to win the award, following George Weah in 1995.

2. Robert Lewandowski: 4/1 28 goals in his first 25 Bundesliga games; 12 in his first eight Champions League games, including the fastest-ever hat-trick against Red Bull Salzburg in a 7-1 thrashing. These figures are now second nature to Robert Lewandowski.

For them, the Pole's failure to win the last two trophies - one owing to COVID, the other due to Messi – is a major injustice that must be addressed this season. Bayern Munich is cruising to another title, one of the favorites for the Champions League, and there's no stopping them.Even said, some voters were not convinced by him the first time around, which would no likely play into the minds of his supporters for the 2022 prize. Is it really possible for France Football to make a hat-trick of neglecting this fantastic striker?

6/1 for Lionel Messi.

In his acceptance speech, Lionel Messi stated that 2021 was not the best year of his career. The year 2022 may prove to be much more difficult for him.

His chances aren't looking good after a Champions League last-16 exit and only one league goal in 2022. This summer, there will be no international tournament to save his bid.The goalposts have moved for the BDO, but they haven't moved for how we rate Messi. He's still contributing with astonishing consistency for PSG, will almost certainly win the league, and as Ligue 1's crown gem, could France Football afford to neglect him? After all, he's one individual you should never dismiss.

Kylian Mbappe (8/1) is the fourth best player in the world.

Kylian Mbappe is in the same boat as Leo Messi. PSG's European exit has dashed his hopes of winning the Golden Ball, and he won't be doing anything to help France win another World Cup until the Ballon d'Or has been given.

At the very least, Mbappe has an ace under his sleeve in the form of his Nations League final goal, which has already decided one of the 2021/22 trophies. Another, without a doubt at PSG, there will be more to come.Mbappe would undoubtedly be in the top two if this award was based only on ability and talent. In order to compete with other names this time around, he may need to score a few more goals and win a trophy in Paris...

Benzema, Karim: 10/1

Karim Benzema's hat-trick in the second half against PSG proved that he is still a force of nature at 34 years old. The fact that he has scored or helped in the majority of Real Madrid games this season surely helps his cause: in just his 24th game of the season, he scored 20 goals and added 10 assists versus Real Sociedad.Benzema stunned the impermeable eventual winners, Chelsea, with a magnificent goal in the Champions League semi-finals last season, despite Real Madrid's poor form. Los Blancos are poised to go just as far this time, and they are also leading the Spanish title race.

Oh, and with a goal in the final, Benzema was also a part of the Nations League victory. This time, he might be a good bet for the award.

Kevin De Bruyne (6th): 12/1Kevin De Bruyne is regaining his form at the perfect time. After a poor start to the season, the ginger genius has scored against Chelsea and Manchester United, as if he's getting ready for the European crunch games and title run-in.

While Bernardo Silva and Joao Cancelo may have been superior to KDB, never underestimate the headline-ability maker's to steal the show. Manchester City are still in the hunt for three trophies – and should they win all three, it's likely that their talismanic Belgian takes the Ballon d'Or home for himself, too.De Bruyne is now an outside bet, but few would be surprised if he doesn't play a significant role in at least one piece of silverware for the Citizens this season.

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