Ballon d'Or 2022: Who are the favourites to win the men's award? List of front runners and odds

The 2022 Ballon d’Or winner will be announced on October 17th, and it appears that Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema is the frontrunner to claim football’s best individual prize for the first time.  

A central figure in a Madrid team that has delivered multiple winners in recent years such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Luka Modric, Benzema’s performances in the 2021/22 season enabled the Spanish giants to secure honours at home and in Europe. 

The scorer of vital goals against Chelsea and Manchester City en route to the final against Liverpool, Benzema’s contributions were massive as Madrid became champions of Europe for an incredible fourteenth time. 

The French forward enters this month’s ceremony as the favourite to collect the prestigious honour and the main competition for the prize will come from African superstars Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane. 

Here are the top five favourites for the award with DAZN Bet:

Karim Benzema: 1/20 

A mainstay in Real Madrid’s team for well over a decade, Karim Benzema often plied his trade in the shadow of global superstars such as Cristiano Ronaldo. However, last season, Benzema stepped up like never before as he fired Madrid to Champions League glory as they upset a trio of English clubs, including Liverpool in the final. 

Sadio Mane: 12/1 

Sadio Mane ended his time at Liverpool in the summer of 2022 after spending six trophy laden years at Anfield. Last season, Liverpool were two games away from securing an unprecedented quadruple, and Mane was a key part of that team. As well as winning the FA Cup and League Cup, Mane also guided Senegal to the African Cup of Nations. 

Erling Haaland: 12/1 

A potential favourite for next year’s award following his blistering start at Manchester City, but Erling Haaland finds himself down the pecking order this year due to Borussia Dortmund once again falling short in Germany. The Norwegian striker has been relentless for Manchester City, and it appears his talent will finally get the honours it deserves. 

Mohamed Salah: 14/1 

Securing yet another Golden Boot in the English Premier League, his third, Mohamed Salah enjoyed a superb season in front of goal as he helped Liverpool to two trophies. Despite a successful season, Salah could've enjoyed more gongs as Liverpool narrowly missed out on the Premier League and Champions League, with Egypt also the runners up at the African Cup of Nations. 

Kylian Mbappe: 20/1 

The darling of French football, Kylian Mbappe once again starred for PSG, and he looks set to be a vital player for France at next month’s World Cup. Despite all his success in his team’s national league, PSG are still falling short in Europe and that’s where Mbappe will be judged if he wants to be the world’s best player. 

The full nominee list

• Thibaut Courtois (Real Madird)
• Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
• Rafael Leao (AC Milan)
• Christopher Nkunku (RB Leipzig)
• Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich)
• Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool)
• Vinicius Jr (Real Madrid)
• Bernardo Silva (Manchester City)
• Luis Diaz (Liverpool)
• Robert Lewandowski (Barcelona)
• Riyad Mahrez (Manchester City)
• Casemiro (Real Madrid)
• Heung-Min Son (Tottenham)
• Fabinho (Liverpool)
• Karim Benzema (Real Madrid)
• Mike Maignan (AC Milan)
• Harry Kane (Tottenham)
• Darwin Nunez (Liverpool)
• Phil Foden (Manchester City)
• Sadio Mane (Bayern Munich)
• Sebastien Haller (Borussia Dortmund)
• Luka Modric (Real Madrid)
• Antonio Rudiger (Real Madrid)
• Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)
• Kevin de Bruyne (Manchester City)
• Dusan Vlahovic (Juventus)
• Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)
• Joao Cancelo (Manchester City)
• Erling Haaland (Manchester City)
• Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain)

*Odds correct at time of publishing. Available to UK residents (excluding Northern Ireland) aged 18+ only. T&Cs apply. www.begambleaware.org