Ballon d'Or 2022: Three players who can battle Karim Benzema for Ballon d'Or 2022 award

As the Ballon d'Or 2022 ceremony nears, the excitement among fans continues to increase to see who would be awarded the best individual player award. Following an outstanding season with Real Madrid, French striker Karim Benzema is undoubtedly the favourite to win the award.

The 34-year-old played a critical role in helping Los Blancos win both the La Liga and the UEFA Champions League titles. While Benzema may be the favourite, here is a look at three other contenders who can challenge the Frenchman for the Ballon d'Or 2022 award this year.

Who can challenge Benzema for Ballon d'Or 2022?

Former Liverpool star Sadio Mane will undoubtedly be Karim Benzema's biggest contender for the Ballon d'Or 2022 award after the success he had at both the club and international levels. The Senegalese international not only helped his nation win the Africa Cup of Nations but also played an instrumental role in helping the Reds win both the EFL Cup and the FA Cup.

Another potential contender for the Ballon d'Or 2022 award is Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, who played a critical role in helping his side win the UEFA Champions League (UCL). The Belgian international made some crucial saves in the UCL final against Liverpool to help his side win the title by just 1-0.

The third biggest contender to Benzema for the Ballon d'Or 2022 award is star Liverpool winger Mohamed Salah. While the Egyptian international only managed to win the EFL Cup and the FA Cup last season with the Reds, he was yet brilliant in all competitions.

Salah scored 33 goals and provided 19 assists across all competitions for Liverpool, in a season where the side were narrowly close to clinching the elusive quadruple. After winning two domestic titles, Jurgen Klopp's side lost the Premier League by just a point to Manchester City before losing the UCL final to Real Madrid.

Ballon d'Or 2022 nominees

Real Madrid 

1) Karim Benzema

2) Antonio Rudiger

3) Thibaut Courtois

4) Vinicius Junior 

5) Luka Modric

6) Casemiro

Liverpool 

7) Mohammad Salah 

8) Trent Alexander-Arnold

9) Luis Diaz

10) Fabinho

11) Darwin Nunez

12) Virgil van Dijk

Manchester City

13) Kevin De Bruyne

14) Phil Foden

15) Joao Cancelo

16) Riyad Mahrez

17) Bernardo Silva 

18) Erling Haaland

Manchester United

19) Cristiano Ronaldo 

Tottenham Hotspur

20) Harry Kane 

21) Son Heung-min 

Bayern Munich

22) Sadio Mané 

23) Joshua Kimmich

Barcelona

24) Robert Lewandowski

PSG

25) Kylian Mbappé

Borussia Dortmund

26) Sébastien Haller 

AC Milan

27) Mike Maignan

28) Rafael Leao 

RB Leipzig

29) Christopher Nkunku 

Juventus

30) Dusan Vlahovic