The Ballon d’Or is the greatest individual honour in world football, and has been since its inception in 1956.
France Football present the iconic golden football to the finest men’s and women’s superstars for their performances in that year.
Lionel Messi is the reigning champion. The Argentine legend triumphed in both 2019 and 2021, while the 2020 award was cancelled due to COVID disruptions across world football leagues.
Many believed Robert Lewandowski should have triumphed in 2020, and he is one of the names back on the shortlist for 2022.
Messi has not been nominated for the award for the first time since 2005, though Cristiano Ronaldo has made the cut.
Kylian Mbappe, Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane are among the chasing pack, but the clear frontrunner for the award is Real Madrid’s veteran striker Karim Benzema, who has continued to gather momentum in the autumn of his career.
Reigning Ballon d’Or Feminin winner Alexia Putellas is also expected to triumph on the night, though Chelsea’s Sam Kerr is a dark horse to sneak the prize.
RadioTimes.com brings you the date for the Ballon d’Or 2022, as well as extra details you need to know ahead of the ceremony.
When is the Ballon d’Or 2022?
The Ballon d’Or 2022 ceremony will take place on Monday 17th October 2022 where both the men’s and women’s awards will be handed out.
A start time is yet to be confirmed, but we’ll update this page once we know.
Where is Ballon d’Or 2022 held?
The 2022 ceremony will be held at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris, France – a growing home for the world’s finest football talents.
It’s a short trip for Mbappe, who will hope to pick up some form of recognition on the night, even though Benzema appears nailed-on to secure the top honour on French soil.
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