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The 2022 Ballon d'Or race is shaping up to be quite unpredictable. We have entered the home straight of what has been a thoroughly exciting season. Most of the big names in the game have delivered this term, while a few have underperformed.
The Ballon d'Or is the most prestigious individual prize in football
Only the cream of the crop have been able to wrap their hands around the Ballon d'Or trophy. Lionel Messi leads the way with seven Ballon d'Or wins while Cristiano Ronaldo is close behind with five.
The Ballon d'Or winner is chosen on the basis of a combination of votes from media representatives, national team captains and coaches. There are several top contenders in the 2022 Ballon d'Or race.
Without further ado, let's take a look at the top five favorites in the race for the Ballon d'Or as on May 2022.
#5 Robert Lewandowski (Poland/Bayern Munich)
Robert Lewandowski was one of the favorites in the 2021 Ballon d'Or race. He eventually lost out to Messi and was effectively robbed of the award when it was canceled in 2020 in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Poland international found out last year that winning the Bundesliga title alone is not going to propel him to the top of the podium. Lewandowski has been in spectacular goalscoring form this season as well.
He has scored 49 goals and provided six assists in 44 appearances across all competitions for Bayern Munich so far this term. The 33-year-old's light silverware collection might just be his undoing once again.
#4 Kylian Mbappe (France/Paris Saint-Germain)
At an individual level, Kylian Mbappe has been one of the best players in Europe this season. He is uncontainable and unstoppable whenever he is on song. As such, it's quite disappointing that Mbappe is set to finish the 2021-22 season with just the Ligue 1 title.
Crashing out of the Champions League Round of 16 will not have done him any favors in the race for the Ballon d'Or. However, it's worth noting that Mbappe's numbers this season are phenomenal.
The 23-year-old has scored 35 goals and provided 23 assists in 43 appearances across all competitions for Paris Saint-Germain so far this term.
Mbappe could yet give himself a major boost in the Ballon d'Or race if he can play a starring role for France at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
#3 Sadio Mane (Senegal/Liverpool)
2022 has been a great year for Sadio Mane so far. He won the AFCON 2021 title with Senegal and followed it up by guiding them to World Cup qualification as well. Mane has also been going through a resurgent phase in his Liverpool career.
He has been thriving as a centre-forward for Liverpool in recent months. Mane has been on top of his game and has played a huge role in the Merseysiders having a sensational season. They have already won the Carabao Cup and have made it to the finals of the Champions League and the FA Cup.
Liverpool are also just one point behind Premier League leaders Manchester City with just four games remaining in the season.
The 30-year-old has scored 20 goals and provided three assists in 45 appearances across all competitions for Liverpool so far this season. If Liverpool win the quadruple this term, Mane could become the frontrunner in the Ballon d'Or race.
#2 Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
Senegal's 2021 AFCON title and qualification to the 2022 FIFA World Cup came at the cost of Mohamed Salah's Egypt. Salah was on the losing side both times but due to his sheer individual brilliance, he is one of the early favorites to go on and win the 2022 Ballon d'Or.
Salah has been a force to be reckoned with down the right wing for Liverpool this term. The 29-year-old has been one of the most in-form players in the world in the ongoing campaign and the Egypt international has become an iconic figure at Merseyside.
In 45 appearances across all competitions so far this season, Salah has scored 30 goals and provided 14 assists. He is leading both the goalscoring and playmaking charts in the Premier League this season.
#1 Karim Benzema (France/Real Madrid)
Karim Benzema is 34 years old but he is having the best season of his career. The French striker has been the most clutch player of the 2021-22 campaign by a mile. Benzema has been a superhero of sorts for Real Madrid this term and his timely contributions and unrivaled marksmanship have astounded many.
Benzema has scored 43 goals and provided 14 assists in 43 appearances across all competitions for Real Madrid so far this season. He scored a 17-minute hat-trick to help Real Madrid beat PSG in the second leg of their Champions League Round of 16 tie.
Benzema followed it up by scoring a hat-trick in the first leg of Real Madrid's quarter-final tie against Chelsea. He kicked on to score his side's winner in the second leg.
Benzema then bagged a brace to keep Real Madrid alive in the first leg of the semi-final tie against Manchester City, which ended 4-3. He would then provide the assist for Manchester City's opening goal in the second leg before scoring the winner for his side from the spot in extra-time.
Benzema's season has simply been the stuff of dreams. He has already won the La Liga title with Real Madrid and if he can add the Champions League title to his kitty, how's anybody else going to win the Ballon d'Or this year?
