Though the hype wasn't as big as in previous editions, the 2022 Ballon d'Or was still a big talking point in world soccer. Unsurprisingly, Karim Benzema won the coveted award after a fantastic season with Real Madrid.
For the first time, the prestigious accolade given by France Football took into account the players' performances throughout the club season rather than the calendar year. Therefore, the French striker was the strongest candidate.
While Benzema's triumph was not up for debate, there were other questionable decisions during the gala. For instance, Manchester City being selected as the best club sparked controversy. Additionally, Bayern Munich coach Julian Nagelsmann doesn't think Gavi was the right choice for the Kopa Trophy.
Bayern boss Julian Nagelsmann not happy with Kopa Trophy results
“Kopa trophy? Jamal Musiala and Jude Bellingham have had a better season than the winner. From my point of view, the two are ahead of Gavi,” Nagelsmann told Sport, as quoted by Barca Universal.
“Gavi is a great football player, with a lot of talent. I wouldn’t say it was undeserved because he has an extreme winning mentality for his age," the Bayern Munich manager clarified about the 18-year-old.
With much of the results looking fair, Gavi is perhaps the most questionable winner of the night considering that the likes of Jude Bellingham or Eduardo Camavinga were also in contention.
Or at least that's what Nagelsmann believes. Either way, the Barcelona prospect also deserves some recognition. Gavi established in the Cules' first team at only 17, and in the process caught the eye of Spanish national team boss Luis Enrique.
