5 superstars who have no chance of winning the Ballon d’Or this year
Some of the biggest names in world football will not be participating in this year’s Ballon d’Or race. The Ballon d’Or is the biggest individual award in football. Only some of the greatest players ever to wear a pair of sneakers can embrace the prestigious trophy.
The most exciting 2022 Ballon d’Or race in years
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have exclusively done Ballon d’Or types in recent times. The pair have won 12 of the 13 most recent editions of the award. But are they part of the race for the 2022 Ballon d’Or?
This year, there are so many top contenders in the Ballon d’Or race, and it’s hard to predict which way this race will head.
Needless to say, let’s take a look at 5 superstars who have no chance of winning this year’s Ballon d’Or.
No. 5 Pedri (Spain / Barcelona)
Pedri has been voted ‘Young Player of the Tournament’ at Euro 2020 for his exploits with the Spain national team. He’s also on the ‘Team of the Tournament’. Pedri was only 18 years old at the time and has made a big impression in his brief but spectacular professional career to date.
However, Barcelona have had a pretty bad season by their standards. The Catalan side have won the title this term and Pedri’s involvement has been limited due to persistent injury problems.
He has made just 22 appearances in all competitions for Barcelona this season. This is in stark contrast to his 52 appearances in all competitions for the Catalan side during the 2020-21 campaign.
Pedri has scored five goals and provided an assist from central midfield for his club this term.
#4 Erling Haaland (Norway / Borussia Dortmund)
According to reliable Fabrizio Romano, Erling Haaland to Manchester City is a completed deal. Manchester City are already one of the best teams in the world and now that the Norwegian joins them, they will become even more terrifying.
But Haaland has had a pretty forgettable season this time around. He has not played much in the Bundesliga this term due to injury problems. With Norway failing to qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, we won’t regret seeing Haaland at the best of them all.
In 29 appearances in all competitions for Borussia Dortmund this season, Haaland has scored 28 goals and provided eight assists.
#3 Neymar Jr. (Brazil / Paris Saint-Germain)
Neymar Jr is another famous star that we rarely see during the 2021-22 season. The Brazil international also struggled with injury problems and was out for most of the season.
He’s been playing some really good football since coming back in February. However, he has only won the Ligue 1 title with Paris Saint-Germain this season. That’s unlikely to give him much momentum in this year’s race for the Ballon d’Or, especially since there have been many excellent performers elsewhere in Europe.
Neymar has scored 12 goals and assisted eight times in 27 appearances in all competitions for PSG this season.
#2 Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal / Manchester United)
Cristiano Ronaldo played a key role in helping Portugal qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Unfortunately for him, he had to spend a completely forgettable season at Manchester United. The Red Devils have never been worse than this in the Premier League era and even Ronaldo’s heroes can only make it up for them.
The 37-year-old is still playing strong and ranks 3rd on the list of goalscorers in the Premier League this term, with 18 goals in 30 appearances. In total, he has scored 24 goals and provided three assists in 39 appearances in all competitions for the Reds.
However, the complete absence of the silver trophy would be a blow to his Ballon d’Or aspirations. Ronaldo has little or no chance of winning the prestigious award this season.
No. 1 Lionel Messi (Argentina / Paris Saint-Germain)
Lionel Messi has had a rather strange season at PSG since joining the team last summer. He’s been one of the top goalscorers on the planet over the past decade and a half. However, the Argentina international has struggled to find the net again this season.
Messi has had a very ordinary season by his lofty standards. He has scored just 9 goals and has 13 assists in 32 appearances in all competitions so far. On a personal level, this is arguably the worst season of Messi’s career to date.
He has won the Ligue 1 title but the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner has no chance of winning it back this year.
https://www.sportskeeda.com/football/5-superstars-chance-winning-ballon-d-or-year-ronaldo-messi?utm_source=feed&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=sportskeeda 5 superstars who have no chance of winning the Ballon d’Or this year