Benzema is frontrunner as race for the next Ballon d'Or begins

Real Madrid superstar Karim Benzema hasn't yet received his Ballon d'Or award for the 2021/22 season but, as he waits for his inevitable prize, the first competitors have already emerged for the next campaign, which is expected to be exciting.

There are plenty of players across different leagues who are ready to challenge the French striker to take the crown next time it is decided.

Two possible challengers put in good performances during the opening weekend of the Premier League campaign.

Erling Haaland scored twice for Manchester City in a win over West Ham United and Darwin Nunez did well off the bench with a goal and an assist for Liverpool against Fulham.

It was the Neymar and Lionel Messi show in PSG's Ligue 1 opener against Clermont, which they won 5-0.

The Argentine star scored two goals (one of them a bicycle kick) and the Brazilian scored another goal and shared three assists to seal the win at the Stade Gabriel Montpied.

Messi had already presented his candidacy for what would be a seventh Ballon d'Or in the Trophee des Champions against Nantes.

He was at times reminiscent of the player who took Barcelona by storm and his connection with Neymar was fundamental to the Parisians' first trophy of the season.

Kylian Mbappe is of course another contender, but he had to watch from the stands due to injury.

New Bayern Munich star Sadio Mane has made a very good start to the season after moving from Liverpool.

He is the first player since Mario Mandzukic to score in his first two official matches for the Bavarian side, netting in the German Super Cup and the Bundesliga opener.

Robert Lewandowski is expected to be in the conversion too and he scored in a recent friendly victory against Pumas, keen to win the Ballon d'Or that many felt he was denied in 2020.

Plenty of forwards have already started scoring important goals in this interesting Ballon d'Or season, which has a World Cup in the middle of it too.