Who will succeed Lionel Messi on October 17? The Argentinian seems out of the running for the 2022 Ballon d’Or after a mixed season at Paris Saint-Germain, so does Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo with Manchester United. This year, Africa has at least two players who can win the most prestigious individual honor in world football.
Sadio Mané said in May that he is sad that George Weah’s Ballon d’Or in 1995 remains the last time an African player has won the award.
The Senegalese says he would be the happiest man on the planet if he won this year’s honour.
For the next edition of Ballon d’Or, Africa has only two of its stars who are favorites: Sadio Mané and Egyptian Mohamed Salah.
Mané has already won the best African player award in CAF AWARDS 2022.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Leonel Messi have confiscated this prize since 2008, except for 2018 and the coronation of Croatian Luka Modric.
In this context, Karim Benzema, sparkling captain of Real Madrid, can also become the fifth elected Frenchman.
His compatriots who have already won it are Raymond Kopa (1958), Michel Platini (1983, 1984 and 1985), Jean-Pierre Papin (1991) and Zinédine Zidane (1998).
With the Spanish Championship-Champions League double, the Madrid striker is one of the big favorites.
Other players who can win the Ballon d’Or this year are Belgian Kevin De Bruyne and Robert Lewandowski. The Polish striker was 2nd in 2021, after Lionel Messi.
Source: AfrikPage