Golden Ball Winners List 2022

Golden Ball Winners List 2022: The 2022 Ballon d’Or was one of the most deserved awards in recent football history. After years dominated by the Messi-Ronaldo duopoly, a new name stepped into the spotlight — Karim Benzema of Real Madrid.

What Is the Ballon d’Or?

The Ballon d’Or, French for “Golden Ball,” is the most prestigious individual award in world football. It has been presented annually by the French magazine France Football since 1956. Every year, the football world holds its breath waiting to see who earns the right to call themselves the best player on the planet.

The 2022 Ceremony

The 66th edition of the Ballon d’Or ceremony was held on 17 October 2022 in Paris. What made this year historically significant was a rule change — for the first time ever, the award was based on the European football season rather than the standard calendar year. It was a night full of emotion, glamour, and most importantly, long-overdue recognition.

The Winner: Karim Benzema

Karim Benzema took home the Golden Ball with a stunning 549 points, leading the vote by 356 points over runner-up Sadio Mané — the biggest gap between two players since 1998. He became only the fifth Frenchman to win the award and the first since the legendary Zinedine Zidane back in 1998. In a poetic moment, it was Zidane himself who handed Benzema the trophy on stage.

Benzema’s season with Real Madrid was nothing short of extraordinary. He led Los Blancos to both the La Liga title and the UEFA Champions League. His performances in the Champions League knockout rounds were the stuff of legend — he scored hat-tricks against PSG and Chelsea, and produced a stunning comeback against Manchester City in the semi-finals. He was the heartbeat of that Real Madrid campaign, and no one doubted the award was rightfully his.

At 34, he also became the second-oldest Ballon d’Or winner in history, after Stanley Matthews.

Full Men’s Top 10 Rankings

Here are the top finishers in the 2022 Ballon d’Or vote:

Other Award Winners at the 2022 Ceremony

The night wasn’t just about Benzema. Several other awards were handed out:

• Ballon d’Or Féminin — Alexia Putellas (Barcelona, Spain) for her dominant domestic campaign
• Yashin Trophy (Best Goalkeeper) — Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid)
• Kopa Trophy (Best Young Player) — Gavi (Barcelona)
• Gerd Müller Trophy (Top Scorer) — Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich / Barcelona)
• Sócrates Award (Community Impact) — Sadio Mané (inaugural winner)
• Club of the Year — Manchester City

A Historic Shift in Football

Benzema’s win was more than just personal glory. It represented a shift in an era. For 15 years, from 2008 to 2022, either Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo won every single Ballon d’Or except for Luka Modrić’s win in 2018. Benzema broke that stranglehold with pure class and consistency.

Notably, neither Messi nor his PSG teammate Neymar even made the final 30-man shortlist that year. It was truly Benzema’s moment, and the football world unanimously agreed.

Quick Ballon d’Or Historical Context

To understand how special 2022 was, here’s a quick look at the winners around that era:

For more details on the full Ballon d’Or history, you can visit the official UEFA Ballon d’Or history page or read the complete rankings on Sports Illustrated.

Karim Benzema’s 2022 Ballon d’Or was a victory for perseverance, brilliance, and for every player who quietly kept working while the spotlight shone elsewhere. It was football’s way of finally saying — the wait was worth it.