Ballon d’Or results LIVE: Winners revealed as Karim Benzema beats Sadio Mane and Kevin De Bruyne to award
Alexia Putellas won the Ballon d’Or Feminin for the second year in a row while Thibaut Courtois, Sadio Mane, Robert Lewandowski and Gavi also won prizes
Karim Benzema has won the men’s Ballon d’Or, becoming just the second player outside of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo to be awarded the prize in the past 15 years. Benzema won the trophy after leading Real Madrid to the LaLiga and Champions League double last season and scoring a remarkable 44 goals in 46 appearances for the Spanish club.
Benzema finished ahead of Sadio Mane, Kevin De Bruyne and Robert Lewandowski at the Paris ceremony to crown a sensational year for the France international, as he followed his Real Madrid team-mate Luka Modric by breaking through Messi and Ronaldo’s dominance of football’s greatest individual prize.
Earlier, Barcelona captain Alexia Putellas became the first two-time winner of the Ballon d’Or Feminin after taking back-to-back awards. England and Arsenal forward Beth Mead, who was the top scorer at Euro 2020, finished second, ahead of the Chelsea striker Sam Kerr. Barcelona midfielder Gavi won the Kopa Trophy for best young player while Thibaut Courtois won the Yashin Trophy for best goalkeeper.
Ballon d’Or: Darwin Nunez (=25th)
Darwin Nunez enjoyed a breakthrough 2021/22 season, scoring 26 goals in 28 appearances for Benfica in Primeira Liga and adding six goals in the Champions League. The Uruguay striker became one of the most sought after strikers in Europe and earned a £85m move to Liverpool at the end of the season, as well as a first nomination for the Ballon d’Or.
Ballon d’Or: Rankings unveiled
The Ballon d’Or rankings are starting to be released, beginning with SIX players who have finished in an equal share of 25th place.
Ballon d’Or
Last year’s Ballon d’Or Feminin winner Alexia Putellas has arrived in Paris alongside her new Barcelona team-mate and former winner Lucy Bronze. Barcelona were beaten by Lyon in last season’s Champions League final and the French side have won nominees to Barcelona’s four.
Ballon d’Or: Who is nominated for the Yashin Trophy?
Ten players have been nominated for the prize of best goalkeeper:
- Alisson (Liverpool)
- Yassine Bounou (Sevilla)
- Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid)
- Ederson (Manchester City)
- Hugo Lloris (Tottenham Hotspur)
- Mike Maignan (Milan)
- Édouard Mendy (Chelsea)
- Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich)
- Jan Oblak (Atlético Madrid)
- Kevin Trapp (Eintracht Frankfurt)
Ballon d’Or: Who is nominated for the Kopa Trophy?
Ten players have been nominated for the best performing player under the age of 21:
- Karim Adeyemi (Red Bull Salzburg)
- Jude Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund)
- Eduardo Camavinga (Rennais, Real Madrid)
- Gavi (Barcelona)
- Ryan Gravenberch (Ajax)
- Joško Gvardiol (RB Leipzig)
- Nuno Mendes (Sporting CP, Paris Saint-Germain)
- Jamal Musiala (Bayern Munich)
- Bukayo Saka (Arsenal)
- Florian Wirtz (Bayer Leverkusen)
Ballon d’Or
Liverpool and Manchester City met an Anfield yesterday in an ill-tempered clash but between them last season’s title rivals make up 12 of the 30 players in the shortlist for the men’s award.
Ballon d’Or
The Ballon d’Or ranking reveal is set to begin at any moment ahead of the ceremony at 7:30pm tonight, where the top three for the men’s and women’s awards will be announced.
Ballon d’Or: Stars heading to Paris
Real Madrid stars Karim Benzema and Thibaut Courtois, who are expected to win tonight’s Ballon d’Or and Yashin Trophy respectively, are on their way to Paris. Meanwhile Arsenal are sending stars Bukayo Saka, Vivianne Miedema and Beth Mead on the same plane from London.
Ballon d’Or: Who is nominated for the women’s award?
- Selma Bacha (Lyon)
- Aitana Bonmatí (Barcelona)
- Millie Bright (Chelsea)
- Lucy Bronze (Manchester City)
- Kadidiatou Diani (Paris Saint-Germain)
- Christiane Endler (Lyon)
- Ada Hegerberg (Lyon)
- Sam Kerr (Chelsea)
- Marie-Antoinette Katoto (Paris Saint-Germain)
- Catarina Macario (Lyon)
- Beth Mead (Arsenal)
- Vivianne Miedema (Arsenal)
- Alex Morgan (Orlando Pride, San Diego Wave)
- Lena Oberdorf (Wolfsburg)
- Asisat Oshoala (Barcelona)
- Alexandra Popp (Wolfsburg)
- Alexia Putellas (Barcelona)
- Wendie Renard (Lyon)
- Trinity Rodman (Washington Spirit)
- Fridolina Rolfo (Barcelona)
Ballon d’Or: Who are the favourites?
Karim Benzema - 1/20
Sadio Mane - 12/1
Mohamed Salah - 14/1
Kylian Mbappe - 20/1
Kevin de Bruyne - 25/1
Robert Lewandowski - 30/1
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