GOAL has been tracking the race for the most coveted individual award in men's football all year, and here's our final standings…
For all the controversy and criticism it generates, the Ballon d'Or remains the most important individual award in world football, and the race to claim the 2022 prize has been epic.
announced in March that the rules for Ballon d'Or voting have changed, with the key one being that the award will be based on performances over a single season, rather than a calendar year.
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That means performances at the 2022 World Cup, which is set to kick-off in November, will not be considered this year, and instead will be judged when voting for the 2023 Ballon d'Or gets under way.
The importance placed on trophies (aka 'Jorginho's Law') has also been scaled back, meaning the prize reflect the best footballers from each season, rather than those who lift the most silverware.
With all that in mind, and with the winner of the 2022 prizes set to be announced in Paris on Monday, check out the final standings from GOAL's season-long tracking of the prime contenders…
Getty20Riyad Mahrez (Manchester City)
Though he finished the season as Man City's top scorer in all competitions, Mahrez's form steadily slipped during the final months of the season, and some of his missed chances could have proven costly.
He was, however, rewarded with a new contract over the summer and should earn a handful of votes.
AdvertisementGetty19Rafael Leao (AC Milan)
Dubbed 'the new Thierry Henry' in Italy, Leao was voted Serie A's MVP of the season after firing AC Milan to their first Scudetto in 11 years.
The Portugal forward should, therefore, get a handful of Ballon d'Or votes from regular watchers of the Italian top flight.
Getty Images18Son Heung-min (Tottenham)
Though he was forced to share the Golden Boot with Mohamed Salah, Son's achievement in finishing as the Premier League's joint-top scorer without netting a penalty should not be underestimated.
His struggles in the early weeks of the current campaign might go against him a little bit, but he still should be a deserved top-20 finisher.
Getty Images17Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)
Van Dijk returned to the Liverpool line up after missing almost the entire previous campaign and was back to his imperious best almost instantly.
He might now being questioned as to whether he is still the finest centre-back currently playing the game, but at least the World Cup in November will finally see him grace a major international tournament stage.