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The shortlist for the 2022 Ballon d'Or was recently released by French news magazine France Football.
Some of the top players who have been nominated include Karim Benzema, Kevin De Bruyne, Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, Kylian Mbappe, and Robert Lewandowski amongst others.
Seven-time winner and incumbent holder Lionel Messi didn't make the shortlist. For the first time since 2005, the Argentine will not be among those gunning for the award.
The 30-man list will further be trimmed to the final five. The final five nominees will be determined by a selection from top journalists and FIFA's top 100 nations.
The 30 players nominated for the award are from various top clubs in Europe. Thus, we will be ranking the three clubs with the most nominees for the Ballon d'Or.
#3. Manchester City - Six Nominees
Manchester City had quite a successful campaign in 2021-22. The Cityzens retained their league title and made it to the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League, losing 6-5 on aggregate to eventual champions Real Madrid.
City have six players on the 30-man shortlist - Kevin De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva, Riyad Mahrez, Phil Foden, Joao Cancelo, and new signing Erling Haaland. Apart from Haaland, who only joined this year, the Ballon d'Or nominees played a vital role in City's success last term.
However, one player who is arguably leading the pack among the Manchester City Ballon d'Or nominees is De Bruyne. The Belgian was City's best player of the previous campaign. He scored 19 and created 14 goals for his side in 45 appearances across competitions in the 2021-22 season.
De Bruyne also won the Premier League 'Player of the Year' and Manchester City's 'Player of the Year' last season. He has also been nominated for the UEFA Men's 'Player of the Year' award alongside Karim Benzema and Thibaut Courtois.
#2. Liverpool - Six Nominees
Premier League giants Liverpool are also one of the clubs with the highest number of players on the shortlist. The Reds have six players nominated for the 2022 Ballon d'Or.
Mohamed Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Fabinho, Virgil Van Dijk, Darwin Nunez, and Luiz Diaz have all been nominated for the prestiguous award based on their performances last season.
Last season, Liverpool lifted a domestic double (the FA Cup and Carabao Cup) and made it to the finals of the Champions League.
Darwin Nunez, a recent signing for Liverpool, was spectacular for Benfica before joining the Reds this summer. He registered 34 goals and four assists in 41 games last season, and played a pivotal role in elevating the Portuguese side to the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
However, Salah is the frontrunner from Liverpool for a Ballon d'Or. The Egyptian right-winger contributed 31 goals and 16 assists in 51 appearances for Jurgen Klopp's side in the 2021-22 campaign. He also made it to the finals of the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) with the Egyptian national team.
#1. Real Madrid - Six Ballon d'Or Nominees
Spanish and European champions Real Madrid also have six players on the Ballon d'Or 30-man shortlist. These include Karim Benzema, Luka Modric, Thibaut Courtois, Casemiro, Vinicius Jr. and Antonio Rudiger.
Los Blancos won a record-extending fourteenth Champions League title last season. They also clinched the Spanish La Liga with a nine-point gap over rivals Barcelona.
Modric and Casemiro alongside Toni Kross were the engines of Carlo Ancelloti's side. The midfield trio continued their formidable patenership and propelled Madrid to success.
Madrid's front-line, boasting of Benzema and Vinicius Jr., was one of the deadliest in Europe last season. The players combined for a total of 101 goal contributions.
However, the Frenchman Karim is the favorite to clinch the Ballon d'Or this year. The 34-year-old attacker almost single-handedly led Los Blancos to Champions League glory last season. His performances in the knockout stages of the Champions League against Paris St. Germain, Chelsea and Manchester City were monumental.
Benzema bagged a staggering 44 goals and 15 assists in 46 appearances for Los Blancos across competitions last season.
