Ballon d’Or: Karim Benzema and Alexia Putellas among favourites but Lionel Messi not among nominees

Harry Kane, Phil Foden and Trent Alexander-Arnold are nominated from England’s national team

(Getty Images)

The full list of Ballon d’Or nominees have been released, ahead of the announcement of the winner on 17 October.

Noted as the game’s most prestigious individual prize, it is being awarded earlier than usual this year due to the 2022 Qatar World Cup.

Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema is favourite for the men’s award, after his exploits en route to winning La Liga and the Champions League last season, while for the women it is Spain and Barcelona schemer Alexia Putellas who is favourite - though she missed Euro 2022 after picking up an ACL injury, which could leave it open for others.

They may include England’s victorious stars Beth Mead and Lucy Bronze.

Alongside Benzema, the likes of Mohamed Salah, Thibaut Courtois and Son Heung-min have all been nominated.

However there was a shock with no nomination for Lionel Messi, while his PSG teammate Neymar was also omitted from the 30-man shortlist.

For the youngsters’ Kopa Trophy award, Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka is the only Premier League-based player nominated.

2022 Men’s Ballon d’Or nominees

Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid, Belgium)

Rafael Leao (AC Milan, Portugal)

Christopher Nkunku (Leipzig, France)

Mohamed Salah (Liverpool, Egypt)

Joshua Kimmich (Bayern, Germany)

Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool, England)

Vinicius Jr (Real Madrid, Brazil)

Bernardo Silva (Man City, Portugal)

Luis Diaz (Liverpool, Colombia)

Robert Lewandowski (Barcelona, Poland)

Riyad Mahrez (Man City, Algeria)

Casemiro (Real Madrid, Brazil)

Son Heung-min (Spurs, South Korea)

Fabinho (Liverpool, Brazil)

Karim Benzema (Real Madrid, France)

Mike Maignan (Milan, France)

Harry Kane (Spurs, England)

Darwin Nunez (Liverpool, Uruguay)

Phil Foden (Man City, England)

Sadio Mane (Bayern, Senegal)

Sebastien Haller (Dortmund, Ivory Coast)

Luka Modric (Real Madrid, Croatia)

Antonio Rudiger (Real Madrid, Germany)

Cristiano Ronaldo (Man United, Portugual)

Kevin de Bruyne (Man City, Belgium)

Dusan Vlahovic (Juventus, Serbia)

Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool, Netherlands)

Joao Cancelo (Man City, Portugal)

Kylian Mbappe (PSG, France)

Erling Haaland (Man City, Norway)

2022 Women’s Ballon d’Or nominees

Selma Bacha (Lyon, France)

Fridolina Rolfo (Barcelona, Sweden)

Vivianne Miedema (Arsenal, Netherlands)

Lucy Bronze (Barcelona, England)

Sam Kerr (Chelsea, Australia)

Christiane Endler (Lyon, Chile)

Lena Oberdorf (Wolfsburg, Germany)

Kadidiatou Diani (Paris St-Germain, France)

Catarina Macario (Lyon, United States)

Alexia Putellas (Barcelona, Spain)

Alexandra Popp (Wolfsburg, Germany)

Aitana Bonmati (Barcelona, Spain)

Wendie Renard (Lyon, France)

Alex Morgan (San Diego Wave, United States)

Beth Mead (Arsenal, England)

Asisat Oshoala (Barcelona, Nigeria)

Marie-Antoinette Katoto (Paris St-Germain, France)

Millie Bright (Chelsea, England)

Trinity Rodman (Washington Spirit, United States)

Ada Hegerberg (Lyon, Norway)

Kopa Trophy nominees

Bukayo Saka (Arsenal, England)

Jude Bellingham (Dortmund, England)

Karim Adeyemi (Dortmund, Germany)

Eduardo Camavinga (Real Madrid, France)

Gavi (Barcelona, Spain)

Ryan Gravenberch (Bayern Munich, Netherlands)

Nuno Mendes (PSG, Portugal)

Jamal Musaila (Bayern Munich, Germany)

Josko Gvardiol (RB Leipzig, Croatia)

Florian Wirtz (Bayern Leverkusen, Germany)

Yacine Trophy nominees

Gianluigi Donnarumma (AC Milan/Paris Saint-Germain, Italy)

Ederson (Man City, Brazil)

Kasper Schmeichel (Leicester City, Denmark)

Edouard Mendy (Chelsea, Senegal)

Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid, Belgium)

Keylor Navas (PSG, Costa Rica)

Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa, Argentina)

Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich, Germany)

Jan Oblak (Atletico Madrid, Slovenia)

Samir Handanovic (Inter, Slovenia)