The 2022
edition of the annual  Ballon d’Or will
be held in Paris, on October 18,2022. Ballon d’Or was conceptualized by
writers Gabriel Hanot and Jacques Ferran in 1956 to honour the player regarded
as the best over the course of the previous year. In the men’s section, French
footballer Karim Benezma is widely believed to be the frontrunner for the
coveted trophy this year.

Ballon d’Or:
When and where to watch

The 66
edition of Ballon d’Or will be held in Paris at the Theatre du Chatlet on
October 18, 2022 at 12 am IST. After a break in 2020 due to Covid-19, this is
the second time the award ceremony is taking place. Indian viewers can watch
the live coverage of the ceremony on Sony TEN 2 and Sony TEN 2 HD TV channels.  In the USA, Paramount+ will show the presentations,
with the main ceremony about to begin at 14.30 EST.

Also read: Real Madrid rout Barcelona 3-1 with goals from Benzema, Valverde, Rodrygo

French
striker Karim Benzema is expected to win the coveted trophy in the Men’s
section. Benzema has been in top form this year, having scored a massive 44
goals off 46 matches. Benzema’s golden touch played a crucial role in his club
Real Madrid’s march to double glory of winning La Liga as well as the
champions league. He is all set to become the first Frenchman to win the award
since Zinedine Zidane in 1998. In the Women’s section, Alexia Putellas who won the award in 2021 is in contention while she is
expected to get stiff competition from Marie Antoinette Katoto and Wendie
Renard of France and Sam Kerr of Australia.

Also read: Premier League: Liverpool vs Manchester City records to watch out for

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have dominated the event in the last 20 years, claiming 12 of the last 13 awards. Luka Modric’s triumph in 2018 is the odd one
out. With Messi not being nominated for the first time since 2005, Benezma’s
win could be a sign of things changing. However, it is too early to conclude.