With Kevin De Bruyne and Thibaut Courtois, two Red Devils will have certain arguments to make. They are already guaranteed to finish in the Top 10.
Seven-time winner and outgoing winner, Argentinian Lionel Messi is not one of the nominees, a first since 2006. Five times Ballon d’Or, Cristiano Ronaldo finishes this year in 20th position. The Portuguese was nominated for the… 18th time.
Benzema favorite, Courtois 7th, KDB in the Top 5
KB9 achieved a high-flying 2021-2022 exercise, carrying Real to a La Liga – Champions League double. He scored 44 goals and distilled 15 assists in 46 matches in all competitions. In C1, he was decisive throughout the final phase.
“I’m very happy to be here, it’s a first for me. I hope to have good news,” said the French striker on his arrival.
For Zinedine Zidane, the last French winner of the Ballon d’Or (1998), the title of Benzema would be “deserved”.
But Real’s decisive player in the final was Thibaut Courtois, author of several saving parades against the Liverpool attackers. Named among the 30, the Belgian, who kept his net clean 22 times in 52 games last season, won the Yachine Trophy, which rewards the best goalkeeper and finished 7th in the Ballon d’Or ranking.
For his part, Kevin De Bruyne will have solid arguments to put forward in the battle for the top 3. Master at playing the Skyblues, he carried his people to a new crown in the Premier League, compiling 19 goals and 14 assists in 45 appearances .
KDB is present with all his family at the Théâtre du Châtelet.
The classification of the Ballon d’Or (updated at 9:30 p.m.)
5. Mo Salah – Egyptien – Liverpool
6. Kylian Mbappé – French – PSG
7. Thibaut Courtois – Belge – Real Madrid
8. Vinicius Jr – Brazilian – Real Madrid
9. Luka Modric – Croate – Real Madrid
10. Erling Haaland – Norway – Dortmund/Manchester City
11. Heung-min Son – South Korean – Tottenham
12. Riyad Mahrez – Algerian – Manchester City
13. Sebastian Haller – Ivorian – Ajax Amsterdam
14. Fabinho – Brazilian – Liverpool
14. Rafael Leao – Portugal – Milan AC
16. Virgil Van Dijk – Hollandais – Liverpool
17. Casemiro – Brazilian – Real Madrid
17. Dusan Vlahovic – Serb – Fiorentina/Juventus
17. Luis Diaz – Colombian – Porto/Liverpool
20. Cristiano Ronaldo – Portugais – Manchester United
21. Harry Kane – English – Tottenham
22. Bernardo Silva – Portugais – Manchester City
22. Phil Foden – English – Manchester City
22. Trent Alexander-Arnold – English – Liverpool
25. Joshua Kimmich – Anglais – Bayern Munich
25. Mike Maignan – French – AC Milan
25. Darwin Nunez – Uruguayan – Benfica/Liverpool
25. Antonio Rüdiger – German – Chelsea/Real Madrid
25. Joao Cancelo – Argentin – Manchester City
25. Christopher Nkunku – French – Leipzig
Courtois winner of the Yachine Trophy for best goalkeeper
7th in the Ballon d’Or, Thibaut Courtois won the Yachine Trophyawarded to the best goalkeeper of the season.
Courtois, 30, is rewarded at the end of an exceptional season both collectively and individually. Last bastion of Real Madrid, winner of the Spanish championship and the Champions League, the Red Devil has multiplied the decisive stops throughout the season, in particular in the final of the C1, where it has proved to be an insurmountable wall for Liverpool players.
Courtois is the first Belgian to win this trophy, awarded since 2019. He succeeds the Italian Gianluigi Donnarumma on the list.
Alexia Putellas does a double blow
Spain’s Alexia Putellas (28, FC Barcelona) won the Women’s Ballon d’Or for the second year in a row.
This trophy has been awarded since 2018.
Gavi voted best youngster
The Spaniard Gavi is the winner of the Kopa Trophy, rewarding the best young player (under 21) of the season. The Barcelona player received his trophy on Monday at the Ballon d’Or ceremony, held at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris.
Gavi, 18, succeeds his teammate Pedri in winning this prize, awarded for the first time in 2018. The midfielder became, on October 6, 2021 during the semi-final of the League of Nations against Italy , the youngest Spanish international in history, at 17 years and 62 days. He totaled 34 appearances and 2 goals with Barcelona last season.
Gerd Müller Trophy as top scorer for Lewandowski
Poland’s Robert Lewandowski received the World’s Top Scorer Trophy for the second consecutive year, renamed Gerd Müller.
The 34-year-old striker, transferred this summer from Bayern Munich to FC Barcelona for 45 million euros, scored 57 goals in 56 matches in all competitions during the 2021-2022 season (50 in club and 7 in selection). During the 2020-2021 fiscal year, he had scored 56 goals in 50 games.
In the Bundesliga, for his last season with Bayern, “Lewy” finished top scorer with 35 goals in 34 matches. In 2020-2021, he had done even better with 41 goals in 29 matches, one more than legend Gerd Müller, who had held the record for half a century (since the 1971-1972 season).
With his new club, Barça, Lewandowski already has 14 goals in 13 matches, including 9 in La Liga. The Polish center-forward, however, remained silent during the Clasico against Real Madrid on Sunday, won by Karim Benzema’s team (3-1).
Great first with the Socrates Prize: Mané laureate
At the Théâtre du Châtelet, a trophy was awarded for the first time. Indeed, the “Socrates Prize” rewards footballers engaged in societal and charitable projects. This addition brings the number of awards at the Gala du Ballon d’Or to seven.
For this great first, the winner is the Senegalese Sadio Mané. The Bayern Munich striker was rewarded for his investment in the development of his native village of Bambali, in the south of Senegal, where he notably encouraged equal access for boys and girls to the practice of football.