Barcelona trio in contention to win awards at France Football’s Ballon d’Or gala

The 2022 Ballon d’Or ceremony will be hosted by France Football later this evening at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris.

As ever, Barcelona players are likely to dominate this event, with no less than three players in contention to win accolades.

The list is led by Alexia Putellas, who is one of the favourites to secure the Ballon d’Or for women’s football. The 28-year-old midfielder won the prestigious award last year, with Lionel Messi winning the men’s division, ahead of Robert Lewandowski.

Speaking of Lewandowski, the Polish international could be set for a disappointing evening, as far as his ambitions of winning the Ballon d’Or is concerned.

Lewandowski is coming on the back of an excellent 2021/22 campaign with Bayern Munich that saw him win the Bundesliga and score 35 goals. He also scored 13 times in the UEFA Champions League.

But despite his excellent scoring record, the former Borussia Dortmund will not be considered for Ballon d’Or, with Karim Benzema appearing as the favourite.

Instead of Ballon d’Or, Lewandowski is likely to become the first player to win the inaugural Gerd Muller trophy, which is named after the German goalscoring legend.

One more Barcelona player who is in contention to win awards in tonight’s Ballon d’Or gala is Gavi. The young midfielder is among the players nominated for the prestigious Kopa Trophy 2022.

Since making his professional break, Gavi has played a key role in the Barcelona squad, showcasing his technical quality and aggression in the middle of the park. However, it remains to be seen whether or not he can follow in the footsteps of his teammate Pedri by ousting the likes of Jude Bellingham and Ryan Gravenberch to win the Kopa trophy this evening.