Karim Benzema won the 2022 Men’s Ballon d’Or, the most prestigious individual award in European football, for the incredible efforts of the Real Madrid striker in 2021-22.
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The results of this year’s awards revealed at Monday’s gala also signaled something of a big change, with Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, both in Ballon d’Or polls for 15 years, recording incredibly disappointing results in the poll.
Previously, at least one or both players would have finished in the top three in the vote every year since 2007, but the final 2022 standings saw Ronaldo slipped into 20th place (his lowest rating since 2005), while Messi didn’t even make it into the that. on the 30-man shortlist.
Together, Ronaldo and Messi debuted in the top three in the Ballon d’Or vote in 2007, when they finished second and third, respectively, behind winner Kaka in the final poll.
Ronaldo then ascended to win his first Ballon d’Or in 2008, sparking a long era of dominance for both himself and his rival as they set out to share the next 10 trophies between them.
We plot here the two players finished with the Ballon d’Or year after year, starting with Ronaldo’s first success some 14 years ago.
2008 (Ronaldo: Ballon d’Or winner, Messi: 2nd place)
Ronaldo, who was 23 at the time and during the penultimate season of his first stint at Manchester United, was the first duo to win the Ballon d’Or. The Portuguese striker scored 42 goals during the 2007-08 season as United won the Premier League and the Champions League, which put him ahead of Messi in the voting.
2009 (Messi: winner, Ronaldo: second place)
Messi won the first Ballon d’Or award at the age of 22 after a season that won a hat-trick that culminated in scoring in the Champions League final to beat Ronaldo United. He became the first Argentine player to be crowned a winner, a feat never achieved inThe Albiceleste Great Diego Maradona.
2010 (Messi: winner, Ronaldo: 6)
Barcelona dominated the 2010 awards as Messi claimed his second Ballon d’Or while fellow La Masia graduates Andres Iniesta and Xavi took the remaining podiums, reflecting Spain’s World Cup victory over the summer. Meanwhile, Ronaldo finished sixth, far behind Wesley Schneider and Diego Forlan.
2011 (Messi: winner, Ronaldo second)
With 43 goals and 21 assists in 47 games over the course of 2011, it was no surprise when Messi won the Ballon d’Or for the third time in a row after his unparalleled performances catapulted Barcelona fivefold – La Liga, Champions League, Super Cup. The Spanish, European Super Cup and Club World Cup – in one year.
2012 (Messi: winner, Ronaldo: second place)
Ronaldo was once again forced to settle for second runner-up behind Messi as the Barcelona forward became the first player in football history to win four consecutive Golden Balls. Then, the world was treated to the sight of Messi collecting his record-breaking trophy while donning a gorgeous formal attire.
2013 (Ronaldo: winner, Messi: second place)
Ronaldo managed to reclaim some ground in 2013 by winning the Ballon d’Or for the second time, as the prolific Real Madrid forward overtook Messi and Franck Ribery for the award with 55 goals in 55 games for him. Los Blancos During the 2012-13 season.
2014 (Ronaldo: winner, Messi: second place)
Ronaldo completed a hat-trick of the Ballon d’Or at the age of 29 in resounding fashion thanks to a landslide victory over Messi in the final poll. The Portuguese star scored 51 goals in 47 games in the 2013-2014 season, and also helped end Real Madrid’s quest for insurance.no decimal“(The club’s 10th European Cup title) by scoring 17 goals in the Champions League, breaking a record.
2015 (Messi: winner, Ronaldo: second place)
Messi returned to the top of the poll in 2015 after winning five trophies with Barcelona (including La Liga and the Champions League) and contributing 52 goals and 26 assists in 61 appearances for club and country over the course of the calendar year.
2016 (Ronaldo: winner, Messi: second)
The pendulum then swung again the following year as Ronaldo took home the honors in 2016 to begin a streak of three straight years of continued success in the Champions League. The 31-year-old scored 54 goals in the 2015-16 season as Real Madrid became European champions once again before adding three more goals to his massive tally when Portugal won the 2016 European Championship.
2017 (Ronaldo: winner, Messi second)
Ronaldo tied Messi’s record by winning the fifth Ballon d’Or in his career in 2017 thanks to his 42 goals in the double winning season in the League and the Champions League with Real Madrid the previous season (2016-2017).
2018 (Ronaldo: 2nd place, Messi: 5th)
Having starred in both Real Madrid and Croatia, Luka Modric shook the Ballon d’Or scene by dashing into the frame to become the first player other than Ronaldo and Messi to win the award for a full decade.
2019 (Messi: winner, Ronaldo: third)
Messi took the lead once again by winning his sixth Ballon d’Or in 2019 after scoring 51 goals and providing 19 assists (a total of 70 goals) in 49 games during the 2018-2019 season, a campaign that saw. He won his last La Liga title as a Barcelona player. Messi and Ronaldo were separated on the podium by Virgil van Dijk, who won the silver medal after his championships with Liverpool in his crowning campaign in the European Champions League.
2020 (awards canceled due to Covid-19)
Although most major tournaments and competitions were eventually completed after the first global shutdown due to the pandemic, the decision was made not to hand out a prize in 2020.
2021 (Messi: winner, Ronaldo: 6)
After leaving Barcelona to join Paris Saint-Germain, Messi cemented his record in 2021 – although the seventh Ballon d’Or came as a shock to many fans who felt Robert Lewandowski was Bayern Munich’s unstoppable player. Sirt to win the award after being harshly rejected in 2020 when he led the Champions League title to the German giants.
2022 (Ronaldo: 20, Messi: DNQ)
Is Messi and Ronaldo’s fantastic monopoly on the Ballon d’Or finally over? The 2022 Ballon d’Or result certainly looks inauspicious for the once-leading pair after Ronaldo managed to enter the bottom recesses in the final 30-man standings while his Argentine contemporary failed to reach the entire division.
