Ballon D'or Odds

The Ballon D'or is one of the most prestigious awards in world football and is often considered the ultimate prize for an individual. We take a look at all of this year's latest Ballon D'or odds to see who the front runners are and what they have achieved over the course of this season.

After an incredible season at Real Madrid, Karim Benzema is the clear front-runner for the 2022 Ballon d’Or.

The French striker played a pivotal role for the Spanish giants, guiding them to a 35th La Liga title, as well as putting in some breath-taking performances in Europe that led to Los Blancos lifting the Champions League. His unbelievable hattrick against Paris Saint-Germain to turn the Round of 16 tie around was one of his many standout moments, as well as scoring crucial goals away to Manchester City to keep Madrid in their semi-final first leg. He was once again the star of the show in the second leg, grabbing the winner from the penalty spot that won the tie and sent his side into the final.

With 27 goals, along with 12 assists, in 32 La Liga games last season, Benzema was crowned top scorer and recipient of the Pichichi Trophy. He also picked up the Golden Boot in the Champions League after 15 goals in just 12 matches. With individual landmarks paired with his silverware success as Madrid captain, the odds suggest that the Madrid captain is nailed on to win his first Ballon d’Or.

Sadio Mane is the second favourite to win the Ballon d’Or, after helping Liverpool win the Carabao Cup and FA Cup.

The new Bayern Munich signing scored 23 times and provided five assists across the 51 games he played in all club competitions last season. He also made history internationally, scoring three goals as well as scoring the winning penalty in the penalty shootout of the final, as Senegal went on to lift the African Cup Of Nations in January – the first in the country’s history.

Liverpool pushed Manchester City right to the edge in Premier League, losing out on the title by just one point as both teams dominated England’s top tier. Mane also scored five times in the Champions League as the Reds reached the final before falling short. It was still a very good individual campaign for Mane though, which sees him firmly in contention to pick up the award.

Kevin de Bruyne is also in the running for the Ballon d’Or after a great season with Manchester City.

The Belgium playmaker once again played a leading role for the Citizens, as Pep Guardiola’s side went on to claim the Premier League title for the second consecutive year. De Bruyne recorded 23 direct goal involvements – 15 goals and eight assists – in the 30 league games he played last campaign. He was also directly involved in five Champions League goals as City progressed to the semis before being narrowly edged out by the eventual winners.

De Bruyne was named Player of the Year for City and equalled his best goalscoring tally to date, with 19 goals from 44 games across all competitions. His form over the past few years has seen his name be mentioned in the Ballon d’Or discussion numerous times, but he looks likely to miss out again this year despite a fine season.

Following another prolific season, Robert Lewandowski is another contender for the 2022 Ballon d’Or.

The Polish sharpshooter racked up an incredible 35 goals in 34 Bundesliga games, seeing him named as the European Golden Shoe winner, as he led Bayern Munich to their tenth league title in a row. It was a disappointing showing in Europe for the Bavarians, only managing to reach the quarterfinals where they were surprisingly knocked out by Villareal, but that didn’t stop Lewandowski from shining. He fired in an outstanding 13 goals in ten Champions League appearances.

The 33-year-old has been unlucky to miss out on the most prestigious individual honour in recent years because of his extraordinary goalscoring form. He will be among the front-runners again this year but may miss out due to the incredible campaign Benzema has had.

It shows just how good Kylian Mbappe has been this season, when he is considered the standout player for a PSG side that also features Lionel Messi and Neymar.

Mbappe produced remarkable numbers for the Parisians, being directly involved in 47 goals in just 35 Ligue 1 games. His 28 goals saw him named Ligue 1 Golden Boot winner, as PSG cruised to another league title.

It’s in the Champions League though where the French outfit are judged though, and Mauricio Pochettino’s men could only reach the quarterfinals. Mbappe had a great individual showing, scoring six goals and producing six assists in eight Champions League appearances, including home and away against the eventual winners in their RO16 tie, but it wasn’t enough to stop Madrid. Mbappe has been electric this season, but the lack of European silverware will be a big dent to his chances in being named the best player in Europe.