The Ballon d’Or 2022, the 66th edition of the annual awards ceremony presented by France Football to recognise the best football players from the 2021/22 season,announced by France Football.
This will be the first time that the award is given based on performance from the bygone season rather than previous occasions when the award was given based on performance for the year.
The nominees for four different trophies, including the men’s and women’s Ballon d’Or, were revealed on Friday (with former record-winner Lionel Messi not making the list, but his rival Cristiano Ronaldo once again made the list.Cristiano Ronaldo has been nominated for the Ballon d’Or 18 times.
Lionel Messi fails to make the Ballon d’Or shortlist for the first time since 2005.The Argentine is the record holder with seven awards to his name but is a shocking omission this year.
He had a somewhat indifferent debut season at the Parc des Princes, managing 11 goals and 15 assists in 34 appearances.
Seven-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi paid a high price for an underwhelming first season with Paris Saint-Germain when he was left off the 30-strong list for this year’s coveted football award. Messi, who won the title last year, had been an ever-present amongst the nominations since 2006 and a regular feature in the top three since 2007 with the exception of 2018.
After leaving Barcelona in the summer of 2021, Messi was unable to stamp his genius on a PSG team desperate for a Champions League title.
The French champions suffered a last-16 exit at the hands of eventual winners Real Madrid.
In total, Messi scored only 11 goals for PSG with his relatively indifferent club form failing to impress France Football magazine, the organisers of the Ballon d’Or which will be awarded in Paris on October 17.
Bengali