Lionel Messi and Neymar have not been included on the 30-man shortlist for the 2022 Ballon d’Or.
The Argentina international has won the most Ballons d’Or in history with seven, but he did not make the list despite scoring 11 goals in 34 matches for Paris Saint-Germain last season.
His team-mate Neymar is also not on the list. He played just 28 times for PSG last season in an injury-hit campaign. Kylian Mbappe does make the list.
Leo Messi’s arch-rival and five-time Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo is also included in the list after he netted 18 goals in 31 matches for Manchester United last season. CR7’s former club Real Madrid had multiple inclusions in the list in Karim Benzema with his 44 goals, emerging as the number one contender for the honor.
Other Los Blancos stars include Thibaut Courtois, who was also named in the Yachine Trophy shortlist given to the best goalkeeper. Champions League final goal scorer Vinicius Junior, Luka Modric, and Champions League final goal scorer Vinicius Junior, Luka Modric, and Casemiro are also part of the list in the top 30 for the main prize. New signing Antonio Rudiger, who had an incredible season for C . . . Chelsea last season is on the list.
2021-22 Premier League golden boot winner and assist leader Mohamed Salah from Liverpool is also included in the list. He is joined by teammates Virgil van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Luis Diaz, Fabinho, and Darwin Nunez. Fellow Premier League players Harry Kane and Heung-Min Son represent Tottenham on the list.
Premier League champions Manchester City have Bernardo Silva, Phil Foden, Kevin de Bruyne, Riyad Mahrez, Joao Cancelo and new signing Erling Haaland are also on the list. AC Milan’s Rafael Leao and goalkeeper Mike Maignan are also on the list after winning the Serie A title.
Bundesliga also has some heavy hitters on the list like Sadio Mane, Christopher Nkunku, Sebastian Haller and Joshua Kimich. Other stars on the list are Barcelona’s Robert Lewandowski and Juventus’s Dusan Vlahovic.
Main Image: 3news.com
The post LIONEL MESSI AND NEYMAR JR MISSES OUT ON THE 30-MAN SHORTLIST FOR 2022 BALLON D’OR appeared first on Entertainment SA - South African Entertainment News, Celebrity and Lifestyle Online Magazine & Entertainment.
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