DBasia.news – The Ballon d’Or award will have a different feel this 2022 as neither Cristiano Ronaldo nor Lionel Messi rise to the podium for the first time in 16 years.
Ronaldo even finished 20th, his lowest ranking in 17 years, while Messi was not on the list for the first time since 2005.
The two superstars have dominated this award for the past decade, winning a total of 12 trophies.
Messi won his seventh Ballon d’Or in 2021 while Ronaldo last won it in 2017.
This year, Real Madrid striker, Karim Benzema emerged victorious after a superb season in which he won LaLiga and the Champions League with Real Madrid.
Ronaldo has always been on the list of the top 30 Ballon d’Or nominees since 2004.
Ronaldo made his first Premier League debut since August against Newcastle United at the weekend and hopes to retain his place in the starting XI against Tottenham Hotspur on Thursday (20/10) at Old Trafford.