The final contenders for the most prestigious individual accolade in the game have been revealed
have announced the nominees for the 2022 Men's Ballon d'Or, with the world's best player set to be crowned at an official presentation ceremony in October.
Real Madrid's Karim Benzema is the hot favourite for the prize after firing the Blancos to a league and Champions League double last season, but there are plenty of other familiar names also in the running.
Lionel Messi landed a record-extending seventh Golden Ball in 2021, but the Argentine endured a difficult debut season at Paris Saint-Germain and he – along with team-mate Neymar – misses out on the 30-man shortlist this time around.
Check out the full list of nominees below:
Getty ImagesThibaut Courtois – Real Madrid
Courtois crowned a superb season with a Man-of-the-Match-winning display in the Champions League final, and is the favourite to win the Yachine Trophy as the campaign's best goalkeeper.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesRafael Leao – AC Milan
Named Serie A MVP of the Season after firing AC Milan to their first Scudetto in 11 years, Leao earned comparisons to Thierry Henry in the Italian press.
(C)Getty ImagesChristopher Nkunku – RB Leipzig
Nkunku beat off competition from Robert Lewandowski to win the Bundesliga Player of the Season award after a goal-lade campaign for Leipzig that was topped off by winning the DFB-Pokal in May.
Getty ImagesMohamed Salah – Liverpool
Arguably the best player in the world through the first half of the season, Salah remained key for Liverpool during the run-in despite suffering disappointment on the international stage for Egypt.