The Golden Ball .. All roads lead to Benzema, despite Salah's dreams

 Football fans around the world turn their attention to the Théâtre du Châtelet in the French capital, Paris, at 7 pm tonight GMT, to follow the Ballon d'Or (Golden Ball) ceremony for the best player in the world for 2022.

The award may witness the crowning of a player for the first time in his career, after years of dominance by Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi from 2008 to 2021, punctuated by the crowning of Croatian Luka Modric in 2018.

1st candidate

There is no talk in the media or mass platforms about the eligibility of a player like Karim Benzema, the Real Madrid striker, after winning the Champions League last season with an exceptional performance. Benzema won the Spanish League title last season with Real Madrid, and won the title of top scorer after visiting the opponents' net 27 times, and in the Champions League scored 15 goals, becoming the star of his first team in a season that history will remember.

Lionel Messi, crowned with the Ballon d'Or in 2021, suffered this year from not adapting to his new team, Paris Saint-Germain, to decline in his level and fail to support his team in the Champions League.

Real Madrid fans around the world are preparing to celebrate their player tonight by winning the Golden Ball for the first time in his career, and not winning the award will be a shock that will resonate with the media and social media platforms.