The much-awaited Ballon d’Or 2022 is all set to take place on Monday, October 17, at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris, France. The annual awards ceremony will commence at 10:20 PM IST.
Traditionally, the Ballon d’Or award was presented to the footballer who performed exceptionally well throughout the calendar year. However, there has been a slight change in the criteria from this time onwards.
This year, the prestigious award will be conferred to the best player based on their performance in the previous season, i.e., from the period of August 1, 2021 to July 31, 2022.
Along with the 66th Ballon d’Or award, several other awards will also be presented. The Women's Ballon d’Or will be given to the best player among women while the Kopa Trophy will be awarded to the best under-21 men’s player. The Yachine trophy will be granted to the top-performing goalkeeper in men’s discipline.
Talking about the nominees for this year’s Ballon d'Or, Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema is the front-runner to win the first Ballon d’Or of his career, ahead of Robert Lewandowski, Mohamed Salah and Kylian Mbappe among others.
French International Karim Benzema enjoyed a stunning 2021/22 campaign where he guided Real Madrid to La Liga and the UEFA Champions League glory, finishing as the top-scorer in both competitions, making him the favourite for the trophy.
Unfortunately, Argentinian superstar and current Ballon d’Or holder Lionel Messi failed to make the cut for the list of 30 nominees for the first time since 2005. However, the seven-time winner’s top challenger, Cristiano Ronaldo, made it to the list of probables.
Apart from Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, who have won it seven and five times, respectively, Michel Platini, Johan Cruyff and Marco van Basten have won on three occasions each.
Where to watch the Ballon d'Or 2022 live in India?
The Ballon d'Or 2022 will be telecast live on Sony TEN 2 and Sony TEN 2 HD TV channels in India.
Live streaming of the Ballon d'Or 2022 will be available on SonyLIV app and website. Moreover, the audience can watch the Ballon d'Or 2022 award ceremony on L'Equipe's YouTube channel, website as well as on Eurosport's official website and app.
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Featured photo: Pau BARRENA / AFP
