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#3 Karim Benzema (Real Madrid)
Karim Benzema has been one of the most consistent players for Real Madrid over the years. The Frenchman has been an asset on the pitch with his terrific goal-scoring abilities.
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Having spent more than a decade with Los Blancos, Karim Benzema has scored 281 goals in 541 appearances across all competitions. Despite Real Madrid finishing second in La Liga last season, the French striker scored 23 goals.
Carlo Ancelotti arrived in the summer as Real Madrid's new manager. Since then, Karim Benzema has only got better, scoring 20 goals in 23 appearances across all competitions. The 34-year-old remains crucial to Real Madrid's ambition to win silverware this season.
#2 Lionel Messi (Paris Saint-Germain)
It was heartbreaking to see Lionel Messi leave Barcelona this summer. Not many expected this to happen given the relationship between the player and the club.
The Argentine will always be a legend at Barcelona after spending 17 seasons with them. Lionel Messi's last significant contribution to the club was in helping them win the Copa Del Rey in the 2020-21 season. This calendar year also saw him win the Copa America, an international trophy Messi has been longing for for a long time.
His year only got better when he won his seventh Ballon d'Or in November 2021. It is amazing how Lionel Messi has so effortlessly won so much in his career. Now at Paris Saint-Germain, the Argentine faces a new and unique challenge ahead of himself. It will be interesting to see how he fairs there.
#1 Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
It is very difficult to be in Robert Lewandowski's shoes. This is considering that he has done so well on the pitch yet struggled to get a considerable acknowledgement for it. The Polishman has been superb in front of goal with Bayern Munich, scoring in almost every match.
In his eight seasons with the Bavarian club, Lewandowski has scored 222 goals in 236 Bundesliga matches. His form has been great across all competitions as he has been brutal in attack, capitalizing on the most difficult of chances to score.
Last season, Lewandowski scored 41 goals in just 29 league matches. This season, too, he has been on a superb run, scoring 19 goals in 17 Bundesliga appearances so far. With the number of goals he is scoring on a regular basis, it is only just that the Polish striker wins the Ballon d'Or at least once in his career.
