Where does Karim Benzema rank among the 2022 Ballon d’Or contenders?

4. Mohamed Salah (RW, Liverpool)

During the first few months of the campaign, Mohamed Salah was probably among the top two players in the Ballon d’Or. But him being fourth on this list shouldn’t deceive you. Mind you, he is still at the top of his game. Be it the Premier League (where he is currently heading the Golden Boot charts) or the Champions League, Salah has been Liverpool’s go-to man in all competitions, almost every game.

With 28 goals and 11 assists in all competitions in 39 games, Salah is set to grab another Golden Boot trophy, having already scored 20 league goals. On the other hand, he is leading Liverpool to yet another semi-final appearance in the competition, with the Reds having a comfortable 3-1 lead against Benfica.

But it’s not just about stats when it comes to Salah. He has been dangerous with the ball at his feet, and is the best right winger in the world for quite some time now. A lot of threat that Liverpool generate is because of the enigmatic Egyptian, directly or indirectly. And it’s also his ability to convert the toughest of chances that stands out. He makes goalscoring look so easy to the eye.

It goes without saying that Mohamed Salah will be the most dependable player on the team once again. With Liverpool just one point behind rivals Manchester City in the Premier League, we all can fancy Salah to go all guns blazing in the final few weeks of the 2021-22 campaign.

3. Kylian Mbappé (LW/ST, Paris Saint-Germain)

His 31 goals and 22 assists in all competitions make him the player with most goal contributions in all competitions from Europe’s top five leagues.

Although PSG have names like Lionel Messi and Neymar in their ranks, players who were considered amongst the very best in the world not long ago, it is 23-year-old Kylian Mbappé who has taken the responsibility to single-handedly win games for the Parisian outfit. He has outperformed the former Barcelona duo combined.

The two legs against Real Madrid in the Champions League Round of 16 are the biggest example of just how good Mbappé has been. He scored a goal each in both legs, while a couple more goals were ruled out for an offside. He was impressive, and the hunger to guide his current team past his future employers was very much evident.

Although the Frenchman didn’t exactly have a great goalscoring start, he has been phenomenal since the turn of the year. It’s easy to forget that he is just 23 years old, because what he can pull off – and how often – isn’t surprising anymore.

With not much to play for in the remainder of the season, can Kylian Mbappé end the season as the player with the most goals + assists?