The 2022/23 UEFA Champions League is set to kick-off today, here is PSG predicted lineup against the visiting opponent Juventus in their opening game. Paris Saint-Germain are set to continue their hunt for a Champions League title as they take on Juventus in the opening Group H fixture on Tuesday night.

PSG’s new boss Christophe Galtier is poised at putting up a good performance for the club this year and hopefully win a title or two for the French giants.

PSG has not won the Champions League title since its inception and the new boss is set to do what former boss Mauricio Pochettino and other past managers could not do.

However, Juventus are no underdogs as they are set to give a new manager a tough start to the Champions League campaign.

Below is how PSG could line up:

PSG predicted lineup vs Juventus (3-4-2-1)

GK: Gianluigi Donnarumma – PSG no.1 goalkeeper Keylor Navas will be ready to start the game on Tuesday night, however, Galtier may likely start the game with Donnarumma in the goalpost to achieve the desired stability needed at the back.

CB: Danilo Pereira – He is one of the solid figures for PSG in the defensive line. The good news is Danilo is fit and available to man the defense and will be hoping to keep the visitors from scoring.

CB: Marquinhos – Although he has not been in his expected form this season, the club captain is still a good option in the defense line to start the game against Juventus.

CB: Sergio Ramos – The veteran defender joined PSG from Real Madrid last season and may be given the chance the start the game on Tuesday night. The Spain international is gradually aging but is not old as he has the needed experience needed to safeguard the defense for the Galtier’s men.

RM: Achraf Hakimi – Having scored two goals and an assist so far this year, Hakimi needs to step up and deliver as expected to avoid being replaced by Nordi Mukiele in the first XI. He is good as a defender and also has a good contribution to the attacking line.

CM: Marco Verratti – Veratti has not been seeing enough playing time for PSG as he was introduced from the bench twice in PSG’s last two matches. The midfielder may likely feature in the squad to welcome Juventus on Tuesday and will hopefully see a lot of playing time.

CM: Vitinha – He was injured in his last Champions League encounter after being substituted with a knee injury. The midfielder is fit and available to hold the midfield again the visiting Juventus team.

LM: Nuno Mendes – Mendes has been a prolific left-back who still adds a lot of contributions to the midfield and the attacking line. He will be needed in the game as Juventus will be looking to also dominate the midfield.

AM: Neymar – Free-scoring Neymar now has 9 goals and 6 assists in 7 matches this year. The combination of Neymar, Messi, and Mbappe is a nightmare defenders of any team will not like to witness.

AM: Lionel Messi – Messi is yet another player who has enjoyed enough playing time since the arrival of the new manager at the club. Messi has been fully involved in 10 goals this year scoring 4 and assisting 6. The importance of his presence in the game on Tuesday cannot be over-emphasized.

ST: Kylian Mbappe – All eyes will be on Mbappe ahead of the game, the PSG’s wunderkind is set to upset the Juventus side at any slightest opportunity. Although he does not get substituted often, we we saw him being substituted at halftime in the last game against Nantes, perhaps this becomes necessary to enable him to have enough rest ahead of the Champions League game on Tuesday.

Read also: UEFA Champions League Complete Draws

Money makes the world of sport go round, this is why many brands crave partnership with the big teams as a way to further popularize and foster their business.

In this article we shall be unraveling the top 10 most expensive flops in soccer and we know you must be praying your team should not be among them, but trust me no club will escape it as no manager is a magician to be able to decipher a flop from a distance.

Most times football lovers and fans of various football clubs around the globe believe that the more expensive a player, the better his performance. Unfortunately, not all big-money signings turn out successful in their new club. Some may require more than a season to prove their worth while others never did.

In football, spending big does not guarantee success. 90minsoccer outlined below, some of the top 10 biggest transfers in football that later turned out to be outrageously costly mistakes.

Read Also:

• Top 10 Players Manchester United Missed Out On
• Premier League Schedule 2022/23 Is Out!
• Liverpool has completed Darwin Nunez Transfer from Benfica for €100

Why Are They Big Money Flops in Soccer

The reason why some football players are called expensive or big-money flops in football is due to the singular fact that every player signed into a club at a mouth-watering sum is expected to deliver as such player is seen as an asset to the club.

Some of these expensive players did well to impress in their first season but end up meeting their waterloo in the following season or two. Without wasting much of your time let’s dive into the top most expensive flops in soccer in the world today.

13. Zlatan Ibrahimovic 

Transfer: Inter – Barcelona (2009)

Zlatan Ibrahimovic is the first in our net. The Swedish striker is known and loved by football fans for his pride and ego in front of the microphone as he was never careful in choosing his words when being interviewed.

He is a genius and an absolute legend of the game of football. However, his move to Barcelona in 2019 almost ruined his career as he had a most embarrassing outing bad enough to land him among the top 15 flops in soccer.

It can be recalled that Barca didn’t just pay Inter a whooping €69.5m (£59m/$75m) for Ibrahimovic, but also added their 2009 Champions League hero Samuel Eto’o alongside the cash to ensure they landed the ace striker at Camp Nuo. A deal they will forever regret.

Embarrassingly, Ibrahimovic was able to net only 21 goals in all competitions but was all over the media for the wrong purpose as the world of football witnessed the greatest personality clash in football history.

The Swede had countless rifts with the then Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola after Ibrahimovic accused him of having “no balls” and “sh*tting himself” in front of his former boss Jose Mourinho.

12. Romelu Lukaku: Everton – Man Utd (2017)

Romelu Lukaku is very unfortunate when it comes to the transfer market business. This becomes evident as the striker appeared twice on our list of top flops in soccer in the world.

Romelu Lukaku’s predicament first started at Old Trafford when the Belgian joined Manchester United in 2017 from Everton for a bank-breaking fee of £75m ($94m).

It was surprising and no one expected it as the Belgium international had proven himself in the Premier League while playing with both West Brom and Everton.

Lukaku’s first season at Old Trafford wasn’t bad at all as the ace striker scored 10 goals in his first nine appearances for Manchester United, breaking Bobby Charlton’s legendary record at the club.

However, during his second season at Manchester, Lukaku began to struggle to find the back of the net. After he finally managed to end a 12-game drought under Jose Mourinho, Lukaku was unlucky as the change of manager of the club also mean a change in playing time for the striker. Lukaku saw less and less playing time under the new Norwegian manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

While Lukaku feels he was disrespected and poorly treated by the Norwegian, many United fans, including Gary Neville, believe he was not good enough to lead the Manchester United attack line.

11. Kepa Arizabalaga: Athletic Club – Chelsea (2018)

Kepa Arizabalaga became the world’s most expensive goalkeeper in football following his record-breaking £72m moves from the Spanish side Athletic club to Chelsea.

It was expected that Kepa will be efficient and emerge the best goalkeeper but the reverse was the case. Since the arrival of Edouard Mendy whose price was one-third of Kepa’s fee, Kepa became a second choice option for the blues.

According to reports, Kepa is likely to exit the club this summer with the next destination yet to be announced. Meanwhile, his stay at Chelsea will forever be remembered for his Carabao Cup drama.

Back in 2019, Kepa shamefully refused to be substituted in the Carabao final which ought not to be so of any player irrespective of the reasons attached. Also in 2022, Kepa made an embarrassing out in the Carabao Cup final against Liverpool where he failed to make a single save during the penalty shoot-out and was also responsible for their loss as he bulleted his spot-kick into space.

9. Nicolas Pepe: Lille – Arsenal (2019)

In 2019 Arsenal took a bold step of breaking their bank to splash a whooping £72m ($90m) to sign Nicolas Pepe from Lille. Upon his arrival, everyone believed he is going to perform as expected considering his blissful career at Lille in the French Ligue 1.

At the end of the 2021-22 season, Arsenal fans were singing praises of their unsung hero, but his glory days never last long. He gradually started struggling to find the back of the net, thereby losing his place in the starting eleven of the team.

However, Pepe managed to score one goal in the 2021-22 campaign, as his place in the starting line-up has long been taken by younger and better players.

8. James Rodriguez: Monaco – Real Madrid (2014)

Real Madrid’s interest in James Rodriguez started when the club’s President Florentino Perez picked interest in the young skillful Colombian during Colombia’s quarter-finals display in the 2014 World Cup.

Coincidentally, the attacking midfielder has had a keen interest in playing for the Los Blancos someday. When interest came from the Spanish giants, James’s move to the Santiago Bernabeu became inevitable.

James Rodriguez joined the Galacticos for a record fee of €80m (£68m/$86m) from Monaco, a move most football lovers believed will be worth the spending considering the ability of the midfielder to convert goals from unimaginable positions.

No doubt, their guess was right, during his first season at Madrid, James lived up to expectations as he nets in 17 goals in all competitions in the 2014-15 campaign as a midfielder.

However, the arrival of Zinedine Zidane as the new coach of the club in 2016 marked a crucial turning point in Madrid’s modern history, but also dent James’s career at Bernabeu.

James rarely featured in games under the Frenchman, it can be recalled that at a time Zidane claimed that James had asked not to be included in a game against Athletic Club.

James ended up playing a chunk part of his career on loan at Bayern Munich, his final season at Munich saw him feature in only 8 games and later exit the club as a free agent.

7. Romelu Lukaku: Inter – Chelsea (2021)

Lukaku is one unlucky player in the transferred business as he appears again on the top 7 most expensive flops in football. The heavy-weight striker had a fine form at Inter and decided to return to England, this time around to Chelsea which he said he has returned to complete the “unfinished business” in Chelsea.

Romelu Luka signed for Chelsea for a record fee of £97.5m ($119m) from the Italian side Inter Milan. In his first season at Stamford Bridge looks like the Belgian attacker meant every word he said before returning to Chelsea, as he finished the 2020-21 campaign as the club’s top scorer with 24 goals and 11 assists. Unfortunately, his second season turned out worse than the first.

Scoring 15 goals in 44 appearances was not a bad record for an attacker but Lukaku only had himself to blame for not being careful with his choice of words during an interview with Sky Sport Italia in the middle of the 2021/22 season where he professed his undying love for former club Inter and, even went as far as criticizing Thomas Tuchel’s tactics.

Since that incident, Lukaku has lost the trust of his coach and most Chelsea fans, as he is now considering a loan move back to San Siro in the summer transfer window.

6. Harry Maguire: Leicester – Man Utd (2019)

In the 2019 transfer window, Manchester United were not careful in spending on whichever player they dimmed fit to be part of the squad as they splashed an exorbitant £80m ($100m) on Harry Maguire, an amount good enough to land the Leicester defender at Old Trafford.

No one would ever think it will be a waste of money as the England defender had proved himself while at Leicester to the point that renowned coach  Pep Guardiola was also in the race to sign him in 2019.

In an interview, Maguire claims he chose Manchester United over Manchester City but in reality, United offered more than City and as the market goes, the highest bidder always wins the race.

Harry Maguire has had a handful of abuses from fans at United over the past three years the latest of which was the death threat he received that left him out of the club’s squad for some matches.

Maguire is more of a victim of circumstance as his career is equally suffering from United’s trophy-less spell and seeing the club making him a captain looks completely ridiculous.

5. Eden Hazard: Chelsea – Real Madrid (2019)

It seems 2019 is not a good year for the football business, again another big-money signing flopped at his new club and this time it is Eden Hazard. Hazard joined Real Madrid from Chelsea for €100 million (£88m/$112m), a move that turned out to be doomed from the very moment the Chelsea ace winger turned up overweight for pre-season training.

Nature wasn’t on his side as his career at Santiago Bernabeu was thwarted by a series of incessant injuries compared to his injury-free outing at Chelsea.

Even when fit and tried to prove himself as a player who performed excellently during his seven years spell at Chelsea, he only got disappointed and frustrated and his sparks are long gone.

Irrespective of the fact that he wasn’t up to expectations, Hazard has done well in his football career by adding several important trophies to his cabinet while at Real Madrid.

4. Paul Pogba: Juventus – Man Utd (2016)

Manchester United’s deal with Paul Pogba is indeed a loss for the club who lost Paul Pogba for nothing in 2012 when he joined Juventus on a free transfer. In 2016, the English giants re-signed Pogba from Juventus for a world-record fee of £89.5m. Ten years later, it’s happened again as Pogba is planning on exiting the club on a free transfer.

The fans have long given up hope on Paul Pogba whom they believed has lost his place in the team, some irate supporters of the team booed and abused the french man during their clash with Norwich last season showing their dissatisfaction with the young midfielder.

No one will be happy spending a fortune on a valuable asset that will lose value within a twinkling of an eye. Pogba’s six years at Old Trafford only added one Europa League title, one Carabao Cup, and a series of pitiful performances and injury worries.

3.Ousmane Dembele: Dortmund – Barcelona (2017)

Barcelona found itself in a very tight spot after the exit of Neymar Jnr to Paris Saint-Germain in the 2017 summer transfer window.

Of course, it was a good business as they had received a world-record fee for the Brazilian veteran striker, but every club in the world knew they had a fat purse and are willing to spend as they were desperate to sign Neymar’s replacement.

Indeed, Dortmund were the lucky one, they saw Barcelona coming for their Ousmane Dembele and need not be informed before they inflated the price of the french man who just had one season in the German Bundesliga.

Barcelona splashed a whooping €105m (£90m/$112m) to land Dembele at Camp Nuo. A deal they now lived to regret.
Worst still after five years plagued by injury and ill-discipline at the club, Dembele is set to leave on a free transfer.

2. Antoine Griezmann: Atletico Madrid – Barcelona (2019)

In 2018 Antoine Griezmann rejected a €100m (£86m/$107m) transfer to Barcelona, which he publicly stated in a video documentary shared by Barcelona defender Gerard Pique.

This singular act got the club’s fans and wished to have nothing to do with the Atletico Madrid veteran striker.

Explainable, Barcelona went for the french man for a fee of €120m (£100m/$130m) the following year, hoping the striker’s capabilities would be worth the insult in the viral video.

Unluckily for him, The magnificent attacker enjoyed a moment at Camp Nou before descending to mediocrity. His average performance for the club saw him crawling back to Real Madrid in the 2021 transfer window after which he later re-joined Atletico Madrid on loan with the possibility of making a permanent transfer.

1. Philippe Coutinho: Liverpool – Barcelona (2018)

Philippe Coutinho’s transfer was the best of all transfers in Liverpool’s history, but the turned out to be the worst for Barcelona.

Remember in 2018, Barcelona paid a mouth-watering sum of €120m (£100m/$130m) – plus €40m (£34m/$43m) in potential bonuses – to land Coutinho at Camp Nuo.

Josep Maria Bartomeu didn’t care to know if the player has a place in his squad but went out of his way to ensure the Brazilian featured in his formidable squad. Liverpool on the other hand saw a bid too good to turn down. 

It can be recalled that the most Coutinho’s most significant contribution during his four years of sojourn at the book was scoring two goals against his team in 2020 while he was on loan at Bayern Munich.

After spending years trying to offload Coutinho, they let him join Aston Villa for just €20m (£17m/$21.5m) in 2022 as they desperately tried to restore some financial order at Camp Nou after very nearly going bankrupt under Bartomeu.

Ballon d’Or 2022 is around the corner and the race is on. 90minsoccer is keeping track of the most suitable player to win the award.

The Ballon d’Or 2022 is gathering momentum as the leagues across Europe are gradually coming to a climax. Argentina captain Lionel Messi won the title for the seventh time in 2021, but with Messi exiting Barcelona last summer as a free agent, he has not been outstanding at PSG possibly because it’s his first season in France, and he is nowhere near the title this year.

Despite all controversy and criticism about the title, Ballon d’Or is still the most important individual award in the history of football as it is recognized globally and the winner of this award can come from any league across Europe.

It can be recalled that earlier in March, the French Football Association announced that the rules for voting the Ballon d’Or winner have changed. One of the key changes is that the performance of the players will henceforth be based on their total performance within a season rather than a calendar year.

That means, the performance of players at the 2022 World Cup, which will commence in November will not be counted as a criterion for winning the 2022 Ballon d’Or award instead, it will be an add-on to the performance of players when voting for the 2023 Ballon d’Or.

Also Read: Real Madrid Emerge as Champions League winner 2022

The importance placed on the Ballon d’Or title (also called Jorginho’s law) was also readjusted, such that the prize of the individual title should be based on the best footballers in each season rather than a footballer who has won more trophies in a season.

Considering all the above-mentioned adjusted criteria, will the defending champion be hoping for the eight golden ball award or is it going to be the beginning of Benzema’s reign? Let’s find out who holds the most power to win the Ballon d’Or 2022 award as the final date is fast approaching.

Also Read: Liverpool fans Maltreated at Champions League final

Here are the top twenty players across various leagues in Europe with the most power for winning the Ballon d’Or 2022 title as compiled on May 16. Two players have dropped out of the top 20 power rankings. They are Erling Haaland (Borussia Dortmund) and Harry Kane (Tottenham)

22. Erling Haaland (Borussia Dortmund)

Previous position: 20th

2021/2022 stats: 37 goals, 9 assists

Erling Haaland has been a bigger force to reckon with in the German Bundesliga. The Norwegian has completed a £51 million move to the English side, Manchester City this summer. With a single match left in the German Bundesliga which may be his last for Dortmund, Haaland may give his all to put as many goals as possible as they welcome Hertha Berlin at Iduna Park on Saturday. Haaland has been in a fine form worthy to be counted among the top twenty Ballon d’Or contenders.

21. Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspurs)

Previous Ranking: 19th

2021/22 stats: 38 goals, 10 assists

The England international has been a big name for the Spurs this season. His perfect link-up with fellow teammate Heung-min Son has helped Tottenham be a strong contender for the 2023 Champions League qualification. The English striker increased his goals tally with 3 goals in their victories over Arsenal and Burnley.

20. Rafeal Leao (AC Milan)

Previous Ranking: New Entry

2021/22 Stats: 14 goals, 14 Assists, Won Serie A title.

Rafeal Leao was popularly nicknamed “the new Thiery Henry” in the Italian Serie A. The young portuguese forward was voted the Serie A Most Valuable Player for the 2021/22 season after he succeeded in firing AC Milan to win the Serie A title after 11 years. His performance for Milan this season landed him in the top 20 spot of the Ballon d’Or 2022 Rankings.

19. Riyad Mahrez (Manchester City)

Previous Ranking: 17th

2021/22 Stats: 29 goals, 12 assists. Won the English Premier League.

Riyad Mahrez has been a huge support to Manchester City this season as they battle to save their epileptic attacking force since the exit of Sergio Aguero last summer. His contribution to the club is evident both in domestic and international leagues. In the semi-final stage of the 2021/2022 Champions League, Mahrez scored City’s goal at Santiago Bernabeu with a curled shot and Thibaut Courtois was unable to save. Although his effort was brought to naught when Real Madrid launched an incredible comeback in the stoppage time to book their place in the final stage of the competition. Riyad Mahrez was City’s highest goal scorer in all competition this season.

18. Rodri (Manchester City)

Previous Ranking: 18th

2021/22 stats: 7 goals, 2 assists. Won the EPL title.

Rodri was one of the unsung heroes in Manchester City’s final day fixture against Aston Villa. The midfielder put up a fine strike that contributed to the success of City’s title defense. Rodri is a talented midfielder, he is defensively minded, has accurate passes and is also a good scorer both from long range and short range. His classic contribution for the citizens landed him in the Ballon d’Or top 18 position.

17. Son Heung-min (Tottenham Hotspurs)

Previous Ranking: 18th

2021/22 stats: 30 goals, 10 assists

Son is in top form this season as he is actively involved in the race for the Premier League Golden Boot. The South Korean was forced to share the Golden Boot with Mohamed Salah, but his total of 23 goals without a penalty is worthy of accolades. With their qualification to Champions League next season, it is possible that the South Korean may be turning his football career in the nearest future.

16. Virgil Van Dijk (Liverpool)

Previous Ranking: 15th

2021/22 Stats: 4 goals, 2 assists, 32 Clean sheets, Won FA Cup, Carabao Cup and FA Community Shield.

Virgil Van Dijk’s performance for Liverpool is superb and worthy of special recognition. The Dutch captain has maintained a total of 32 clean sheets with two games left to the end of the English Premier League. However, the center-back suffered muscle tightness on Saturday in their FA cup final tie against Chelsea at Wembley. Jurgen Klopp’s side was lucky to have him fit for the Champions League final fixture against Real Madrid in Paris but his effort was not enough to secure the European trophy for the Reds.

15. Thiago Alcantara (Liverpool)

 Previous Ranking: 12th

2021/22 Stats: Two goals, five assists. Won FA Cup, Carabao Cup and FA Community Shield.

Since he arrived at Anfield, Thiago has rekindled the fire in his dying football career. The Spanish midfielder is such a relief for Jurgen Klopp in the Midfield. His outright complete passes cannot be overemphasized. And with two trophies already won, the midfielder is in the top 15 of the 2022 Ballon d’Or contenders. He managed to be fit for the Champions League final in Paris but was not up to par like the usual Thiago Alcantara performance we had expected.

14. Luis Diaz (Liverpool)

Previous Ranking: 13th

2021/22 Stats: 23 goals, 10 assists, won FA Cup, Carabao Cup and FA Community Shield.

Since joining Liverpool FC from FC Porto in January, Luis Diaz has been superb. The Colombian winger is worthy of Ballon d’Or top 20 contestant role judging from his performance for both clubs so far this season. Recently, his assist for the winning goal for Liverpool against Aston Villa and a 100 percent display in the FA cup final against Chelsea that earned him the Man of the Match title summed up his wonderful performance for the Merseyside club.

One could have thought that he win overpower Real Madrid full-back Dani Carvajal in the Champions League final but the Madrid defender stepped up enough to contain the Colombian and later saw him being substituted in the second half of the game.

13. Christopher Nkunku (RB Leipzig)

Previous Ranking: 16th

2021/22 Stats: 35 goals, 22 assists. Won DFB-Pokal.

Although Christopher Nkunku will not be seen in the Europa League final after RB Leipzig failed to qualify for the final stage of the competition. Leipzig were 1-0 winners of the first leg of the semi-final tie against Rangers before they lost 3-1 to Rangers who qualified on 3-2 aggregate.

However, the French international add four goals to his tally in the past seven days and is also hopeful of winning the DFB-Pokal Cup and possibly the 2022 Ballon d’Or title. The free-scoring player failed to record his name on the scoresheet in the final day game of the German Bundesliga but was named the Bundesliga Player of the season due to his outstanding performance all through the Bundesliga season. Nkunku was on the score sheet in their DFB-Pokal final triumph and had one of the most splendid individual season.

12. Bernardo Silva (Manchester City)

Previous Ranking: 11th

2021/22 Stats: 13 goals, 13 assists. Won the Premier League Title.

Bernardo is a sweet old wine that the lovers of football cannot just let go of. The Spanish midfielder has had a superb season at Etihad and is hoping to lift the English Premier League title as compensation for the hard work. He was superb in the final day fixture against Aston villa and was understanding enough to made way for IIkay Gundogan was came in his stead and turned the game around scoring two goals in 3 minutes.

11. Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool)

Previous Ranking: 10th

2021/22 Stats: Two goals, 22 Assists, 24 clean sheets. Won FA Cup, Carabao Cup and FA Community Shield.

Arnold has been superb as usual and has further increased his defending capabilities as evident in the FA cup final against Chelsea. The 23-year-old -has won all four top-level trophies including all domestic titles in England. These achievements and performance this season have earned him a place in the top 10 2022 Ballon d’Or contenders. The young lad put up a good form all through the season and was notable in the Champions League final at Paris but his failure to track Vinicius Junior’s run that led to the only goal of the game cannot be forgotten.

10. Phil Foden (Manchester City)

Previous Ranking: 9th

2021/22 Stats: 14 goals, 15 assists. Won the Premier League title.

Foden has been effective and productive for the Citizens so far this season. The England international has scored 14 and set up 15 goals despite not seeing enough playtime at City. The 22-year-old already has four Premier League titles and is currently on his way to becoming one of the youngest most decorated English player.

9. Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid)

Previous Ranking: 14th

2021/22 Stats: 23 clean sheets, won the UEFA Champions League, La Liga title, Supercopa de Espana and UEFA Super Cup.

The Real Madrid goalkeeper was not left out in the race for the 2022 Ballon d’Or title. The former Chelsea keeper has been in fine form this season and has helped Madrid to secure three titles this season. Courtois outstanding display in the Champions League final was enough to earned him the Man-of-the-match award. He is currently the best goalkeeper in the world and he keeps getting better.

His stunning saves of Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane’s attempts was the center of attraction the the game in Paris. The Belgian goalkeeper has been a savior for the Los Blancos all through the campaign and later got rewarded with the title.

7. Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City)

Previous Ranking: 6th

2021/22 Stats: 21 goals, 18 assists. Won Premier League title.

Kevin De Bruyne has been superb since his return from injury early this year. The City’s midfielder has contributed immensely to the epileptic attacking force of the Citizens. His recent four-goal howl against wolves is magnificent. Winning the English Premier League title was a reward for such hard work by the Belgian and his tireless teammates.

8. Luka Modric (Real Madrid)

Previous Ranking: 9th

2021/22 Stats: 7 goals, 14 assists. Won the UEFA Champions League, La Liga title, Supercopa de Espana and UEFA Super Cup.

Luka Modric is yet another football old wine that football lovers are not ready to let go of any time soon. The 36-year-old Croatian made an audacious ageless pass that led to Rodrygo’s goal against Chelsea in the Champions League. Two weeks ago the magician also had a hat-trick of assists against Levante to add to his overall performance this season.

In the Champions League final against Real Madrid, he was once again fantastic in the midfield. Modric was the 2018 Ballon d’Or winner and at 36 he still deliver excellently enough to earn a place in top 10 spots of the 2022 Ballon d’Or ranking.

6. Vinicius Junior (Real Madrid)

Previous Ranking: 7th

2021/22 Stats: 22 goals, 19 assists. Won the UEFA Champions League, La Liga, Supercopa de Espana and UEFA Super Cup.

Vinicius Jnr, a right partner to Kareem Benzema has been pulling the right strings when necessary. The Brazillian scored the only goal that earned Real Madrid the Champions League title in Paris. Vinicius’ second-half goal handed the Los Blancos their 14th Champions League title. The Los Blancos winger scored his first hat-trick for Real Madrid when they trashed Levante 6-0.

5. Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Gemain)

Previous Ranking: 5th

2021/22 Stats: 49 goals, 31 assists. Won Ligue 1, Uefa Nations League and Trophees des Champions.

Kylian Mbappe is enjoying a perfect football career in France after winning the Ligue 1 Player of the Year award for the third consecutive time. The PSG star wade off keen interest from Spanish giants Real Madrid to renew his contract with PSG that will see him remain in France until 2025.

Mbappe will be a strong contender of the Ballon d’Or title come 2023 if his team put up a good performance at the Champions League campaign and the World Cup Tournament in Qatar.

4. Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)

Previous Ranking: 4th

2021/22 Stats: 57 goals, 12 assists. Won the Bundesliga and DFL-Supercup.

The free-scoring Lewandowski made it to the top 4 contenders of the 2022 Ballon d’Or. He scored his 50th club goal for the season in the final game last weekend. However, the Bayern attacker is keen on leaving the club at the end of the season as he bade the club’s fans farewell in his last game for Bayern. Rumors has it that the striker in talks with Spanish giants Barcelona but the deal is yet to be finalized.

3. Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)

Previous Ranking: 3rd

2021/22 Stats: 33 goals, 19 assists. Won FA Cup, Carabao Cup and FA Community Shield.

The Egyptian is currently the top scorer in the English Premier League with two games left to play. Salah has been magnificent for Jurgen Klopp’s side raking in a total of 39 goals and 19 assists. However, Salah was confirmed to be injured in the FA Cup final against Chelsea when he was substituted in the 32nd minute of the game.

The Liverpool star put up a stunning display in the final game of the Champions League campaign against Real Madrid but the Los Blancos goalkeeper ensured the Egyptian got heartbroken at the end of 90 minutes.

2. Sadio Mane (Liverpool)

Previous Ranking: 2nd

2021/22 Stats: 33 goals, 5 assists. Won Africa Cup of Nations, FA Cup, Carabao Cup and FA Community Shield.

Mane missed a penalty in the FA cup final at Wembley but was fortunate enough as Liverpool went ahead to win the trophy. Although the French Football has stressed that the number of trophies won should not be the major consideration when voting for a Ballon d’Or winner but the number of trophies the Senegalese is amassing is worthy of recognition. The Senegal international has only Karim Benzema on his way to winning the 2022 Ballon d’Or title.

The Senegalese almost had the opening goal in the Champions League final but was denied by the finger tips of Thibaut Courtois. Despite the disappointing finals, Mane will be recognized for the series of trophies he had won this season. Unfortunately, it seems we will have to wait for another years to hope for the rise of another African World best since George Weah last won it in 1995.

1. Karim Benzema (Real Madrid)

Previous Ranking: 1st

2021/22 Stats: 47 goals, 15 assists. Won the UEFA Champions League, La Liga, UEFA Nations League, Supercopa de Espana and UEFA Super Cup.

Benzema has been a ‘savior’ for the Los Blancos side as he constantly appeared right on time to salvage the club, especially in the Champions League. His effort was evident in the Quarterfinal display against Chelsea and the semi-final against Manchester City. If he possibly put up the same kind of effort in the final stage of the competition, we might be saying Hello to the latest world best.

His presence in biggest moments is commendable, coupled with series of top-level performances for Real Madrid all through the season. The French man has ticked every box that serves as a criteria for him to win the Ballon d’Or award.

Ballon d’Or 2022 Date and Venue

The Ballon d’Or 2022 award date is a bit different than usual. The date for the announcement of the individual title usually takes place in December, whereas that of this year will take place some months earlier.

The ‘France Football’ has announced when the Ballon d’Or will be awarded to the deserved player in 2022. This year’s edition is going to be a special one, as it will be the first Ballon d’Or after the change of dates for the award.

The French magazine has published that the French Football have decided that from this edition onwards, to award the Ballon d’Or seasonally, and not according to a calendar year as it has been in the previous years. Therefore, the 2022/23 World Cup performance will not be included.

When is the Ballon d’Or 2022 gala?

It is now official that the Ballon d’Or 2022 gala will take place on Monday, 17th October, 2022. That is  two months earlier than the usual date. The Ballon d’Or gala used to take place in December every year, that has changed now starting from 2022 Ballon d’Or.

Where is the Ballon d’Or 2022 gala?

The French Football have also confirmed that the Ballon d’Or 2022 gala will be held at the Théâtre Châtelet in Paris, France. It is the same venue where all other previous editions of the Ballon d’Or have been taken place, and this year’s edition will follow suit in the same venue.

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