Power Rankings for the Ballon d'Or 2022: Benzema, Salah, or Mane – will the Champions League final decide the winner?
Power Rankings for the Ballon d'Or 2022
Spylax Media is tracking the race for the most coveted individual honor in men's football after Lionel Messi won it for the seventh time in 2021.
Despite all of the debate and analysis, the Ballon d'Or remains the most important individual honor in world football, and the race to secure the award in 2022 is well and truly underway.
France Football announced in March that the criteria for Ballon d'Or voting had changed, with the main difference being that the award will now be based on performances over a single season rather than a calendar year.
That implies that performances at the 2022 World Cup, which is set to begin in November, will not be viewed as they are this year, and will instead be judged while voting for the 2023 Ballon d'Or begins.
The importance of prizes (also known as 'Jorginho's Law') has been reduced, which means that the award should reflect the best footballers from each season rather than the individuals who win the most trophies.
In light of all of this, and with reigning champion Lionel Messi vying for an eighth Golden Ball, who wields the most power in this year's Ballon d'Or race as it enters its final months?
10.Alexander-Arnold, Trent (Liverpool)
In 2021-22, he had two goals, 22 assists, and 23 clean sheets. Won Carabao Cup and FA CUP recently.
Alexander-Arnold was back on the assist trail against Villarreal, as his cross set up Luis Diaz for the game-winning goal in Spain for the Yellow Submarine.
9 Phil Foden (Manchester City): 14 goals, 15 assists in 2021-22.
After playing the full 120 minutes of Man City's humiliating Champions League semi-final loss in Madrid, Foden cut a forlorn figure, but he was in better spirits on Sunday as he fell off the seat and both scored and assisted on late goals for Pep Guardiola's side in their win over Newcastle.
8 Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City): 16 goals, 17 assists in 2021-22.
De Bruyne was chastised for his performance in Madrid, which saw him substituted with 20 minutes of typical time still to play, He did, however, return with a dominant midfield performance against Newcastle as City closes in on another Premier League title.
7 Luka Modric (Real Madrid) has six goals and 11 assists in 2021-22. La Liga and the Supercopa de Espana were both won.
Modric was one of the star players substituted during Real Madrid's emotional Champions League semi-final win, as Carlo Ancelotti trusted his young guns to turn the tie around.
That should not, however, dampen expectations for Modric as the mission nears its end.
6 Vinicius Junior (Real Madrid): 18 goals, 18 assists in 2021-22. La Liga and the Supercopa de Espana were both won.
However, it was his fellow Brazilian winger, Rodrygo, who accepted the titles as Real Madrid defeated Manchester City in the Champions League, and Vinicius was once again a thorn in the side of the Premier League champions' defense.
His impact only grew as time passed at Santiago Bernabeu, and his battle with Trent Alexander-Arnold promises to be crucial in light of the outcome of the previous match in Paris.
5 Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain): 44 goals, 29 assists in 2021-22. Ligue 1 and the UEFA Nations League were both won.
Mbappe continues to add to his ridiculous goal totals as PSG's season winds down in France – the question now is whether he will leave his country this summer.
4.Robert Lewandowski In 2021-22, (Bayern Munich) has 55 goals and 11 assists. Bundesliga title and DFL-Supercup.
After being on target for the majority of the mission, a slow finish to the season for Lewandowski implies he is set to miss out on breaking his own record for the most goals in a single Bundesliga season, with the focus now on whether the Poland star will sign another contract at the Allianz Arena.
3.Sadio Mane's bio (Liverpool)
In 2021-22, he had 27 goals and five assists. Won the Africa Cup of Nations as well as the Carabao Cup.
The campaign to get Mane to compete for the Ballon d'Or in 2022 is picking up steam, with the Senegal star scoring the game-winning goal against Villarreal as Liverpool advanced to the Champions League final.
France Football was quick to remove the accentuation on prizes won to their citizens, However, if Mane backs up his Africa Cup of Nations triumph with three or four club titles, will he ever be denied a definitive individual honor?
2. Mohamed Salah (Liverpool): 32 goals, 19 assists in 2021-22. Carabao Cup was won.
The recently named FWA Footballer of the Year isn't delivering the same match-winning performances that he did previously, but as the Ballon d'Or transitions to being a season-long award, it should be expected that those displays by the Egyptian are remembered, especially if other Liverpool players advance in their upcoming cup finals.
1.Karim Benzema (Real Madrid): 46 goals, 14 assists in 2021-22. La Liga, UEFA Nations League, and Supercopa de Espana were all won.
Regardless of whether the titles went to some of his teammates, it was Benzema who scored the game-winning goal for Real Madrid in their Champions League semi-final victory over Manchester City.
The France striker also assisted Rodrygo on the evening, and it now appears that he will win football's ultimate individual honor regardless of whether Los Blancos lose in Paris.
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