Real Madrid veteran striker, Karim Benzema is now the favourite to win the 2022 Ballon d’Or.
This is following a change in Ballon d’Or rules, which means that the 2022 award will be received by the best player during a football season and not in a calendar year.
And Benzema could be the first player to benefit from this rule but would definitely not be the only candidate.
This season’s award will be handed to the winner in October and this year’s Champions League is expected to decide the player who will win the accolade.
Bayern Munich’s Robert Lewandowski is also top on the list of potential contenders for the award.
L’Equipe reports that Benzema is the main favourite to claim the individual award for 2022 due to his hat-tricks against PSG and Chelsea.
Other exploits of the Frenchman include his 24 strikes in the LaLiga, his UEFA Nations League success with France in October and his five goals with the French national team since September.
Apart from Lewandowski, Liverpool ace, Sadio Mane, who won the Africa Cup of Nations this winter with Senegal and also helped the country qualify for the World Cup in Qatar could also be handed the award if the Reds win the Premier League, the FA Cup and the Champions League.
Kylian Mbappe of PSG and France could also be handed the award despite his club’s failure in the Champions League.