2022 Ballon d’Or Winner Predictions: Benzema And Co

By: Olena

Posted: September 12, 2022

Updated: September 12, 2022

2022 Ballon d'Or winner predictions have an obvious favorite
Everyone believes in Karim Benzema's total domination this autumn
Who can be his contenders for the most prestigious award in football?

Image source: Ank Kumar, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The 2022 Ballon d'Or winner predictions have an obvious favorite. None other than Karim Benzema is everyone’s choice to win the award this year. Who can be player's contenders for the most prestigious award in football? Take a look at the five football stars who did their best last season and deserve recognition too. The Ballon d’Or is the number one individual award in football. The award was launched in 1956 by the French news magazine France Football and became a global prize in 2007 when every professional football player became eligible. Nowadays, it is annually awarded to the best players, both male and female. And every year, the award results cause debates about the winner. However, everything seems to change in 2022 based on the latest predictions.

All 2022 Ballon d'Or winner predictions

The 2022 Ballon d’Or award ceremony will be held on October 17. The nominees for the ceremony were announced last August. There were surprises on the list such as seven-time award winner Lionel Messi being out of competition. On the other side, the winner is so obvious that we could barely make a top-5 of possible contenders for the award. Our choice includes Robert Lewandowski, Sadio Mane, Kevin De Bruyne, Kylian Mbappe, and the main favorite Karim Benzema.

Karim Benzema

Karim Benzema leads the odds at all bookmaker sites that exist. No one can stand against this 34-years-old forward of Real Madrid. In 2021-22, Benzema won the Champions League, La Liga, and UEFA Nations League. In addition, he became a number one player according to the stats and football editions. He received the Men’s Player of the Year title from UEFA. With 44 goals and 15 assists, Benzema has done everything to win the Ballon d’Or, so his odds varying from 1.02 to 1.05 at most online sportsbooks in Germany are well-deserved. At this point, we could stop making the 2022 Ballon d'Or winner predictions as it is almost impossible for Benzema to lose. However, considering the results of last year’s ceremony, football fans should be ready for everything. Even an obvious favorite can be robbed, so let’s take a look at other possible contenders for the Ballon d’Or award.

2022 Ballon d'Or winner predictions — Karim Benzema in '20 - Image source: Real Madrid, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Robert Lewandowski

In most football fans’ opinion, Robert Levandowski was undeservedly robbed of his first Ballon d’Or last year. He lost to Lionel Messi and finished second in the final list of best players. Taking this into account, Lewandowski is one of the main favorites to win the award in 2022. However, one shouldn't consider Robert’s possible win as an excuse for 2021. His stats and achievements are still amazing. Last season, he scored 49 goals in 45 games and became the Golden Boot winner. He won Bundesliga with Bayern Munich before leaving the club for Barcelona. Lewandowski’s first days in La Liga started so smoothly, so we have no doubts about another successful season for the Polish superstar.

Kylian Mbappe

Kylian Mbappe’s chance to win his first Ballon d’Or has reached its peak so far. Last season, the French striker scored 39 goals in 46 games and made 17 assists in Ligue 1 alone. He won Ligue 1 and UEFA Nations League. All this made Mbappe the most valuable player of PSG leaving Lionel Messi behind. Messi didn't even get the nomination for the award, so maybe it’s time for Kylian to shine. Following the 2022 Ballon d'Or winner predictions, Mbappe’s odds of winning the award are second-highest at 22Bet.

Sadio Mane

New Bayern Munich superstar Sadio Mane is another possible contender for the 2022 Ballon d’Or. The past season was successful for this 30-years-old forward and former winger of Liverpool. He scored 30+ goals and won the FA Cup, Carabao Cup, and Africa Cup of Nations, where he played against his former teammate Mohammed Salah. All combined, Mane is one of the main picks for the top-3 of the Ballon d’Or award.

Kevin De Bruyne

Kevin De Bruyne can be the dark horse of the upcoming Ballon d’Or ceremony. The midfielder for Manchester City and the Belgium national team, De Bruyne won the most difficult domestic league in Europe - the English Premier League - in 2022. His contribution to the club’s triumph was 15 goals and 8 assists, which resulted in 33.00 odds to win the most prestigious football award. You can bet on De Bruyne or any other player to win the Ballon d’Or at online gambling sites in Germany.