Football is one of the most-watched sports globally. It is also known as the King Sport because of its large fan base and the largest, most invested leagues. All of this can be attributed to the players. These players are dedicated and work hard to win their team and country trophies. Their commendable efforts are admired by fans, whereby they earn both name and fame. This article will discuss how a football player is regarded as the King of Football and who is the ultimate King of Football. We will also discuss who is the King of Football in 2022 and to whom the title has been awarded since 2016.
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Who is the King of football?
There is no official title in football to regard a player as “The King of Football.” However, we have considered the stats from the Ballon d’Or, the highest individual honor in football, to name a football player as the king of football.
Best football players contribute a lot to the game, showing top-level performances and standing up in the most moments conceivable. Among these players, the one who has demonstrated class (Fairplay & talent) alongside individual & collective performances (ultimate trophies collection) during a year are honored with the Ballon d’Or (Golden Ball) presented by French news magazine France Football.
The methodology we are using in this blog to determine who the king of football is in a particular year is based on who was awarded the Ballon d’Or award that year. Here are the results:
| King of Football | Football players |
| Who is the king of football in 2022 | Karim Benzema |
| Who is the king of football in 2021 | Lionel Messi |
| Who is the king of football in 2020 | NA |
| Who is the king of football in 2019 | Lionel Messi |
| Who is the king of football in 2018 | Luka Modric |
| Who is the king of football in 2017 | Cristiano Ronaldo |
| Who is the king of football in 2016 | Cristiano Ronaldo |
King of Football in 2022
France Football stated in March that the Ballon d’Or voting procedures have changed, and the award will now be judged on performances over a single season rather than a calendar year. The relevance of trophies has been reduced. This means that the prize should reflect the best footballers from each season, rather than those who win the most trophies.
With all that in mind and incumbent champion Lionel Messi vying for an eighth Golden Ball, who will take the crown in October 2022?
Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema checks every box required to win the Ballon d’Or in 2022. In terms of impact on the 2021-22 Europa season, Benzema scored 45 goals with 14 assists. In fact, on the back of Benzema’s prolific goal-scoring prowess, Real Madrid went on to win the Champions League.
Here are some stats for 2021-22:
| Karim Benzema | Goals | Assists |
| Champions League | 15 | 1 |
| La Liga | 27 | 12 |
| UEFA Nations League | 1 | 0 |
| Supercopa de Espana | 2 | 1 |
| Total | 45 | 14 |
No player comes close to him, and he will justifiably take the Golden Ball at the October ceremony, making him the king of football for 2022.
King of Football in 2021
Lionel Messi, the Argentine genius, has been the King of Football in 2021. Lionel Messi received his 7th Golden Ball when the results were announced by France Football on November 29 in Paris, defeating Robert Lewandowski into second and Jorginho in third place.
In 2020-21, Messi scored 41 goals with 17 assists and almost single-handedly propelled Barcelona to the La Liga & Copa del Rey victory before winning Player of the Tournament and the Golden Boot at the Copa America, giving the Argentine his first big international trophy.
King of Football in 2020
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, no one was recognized as the King of Football 2020. This decision was finalized after France Football announced that owing to a “lack of acceptable fair circumstances,” the prestigious Ballon d’Or prize, which Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have recently dominated, will not be handed in 2020.
King of Football in 2019
Lionel Messi was the King of Football in 2019 after the Barcelona forward won the Ballon d’Or award for the world’s finest male player for a sixth record.
The 32-year-old Argentine had a fantastic 2018-19 season, scoring 36 goals in 34 La Liga matches as Barcelona retained their title and scoring another 12 goals in his 10 Champions League games.
Messi scored 51 goals in 50 appearances with 19 assists in the 2018-19 season. Check out the King of Football in 2019 goal stats here.
King of Football in 2018
Luka Modric was the King of Football in 2018. He was declared the winner of the 2018 Ballon d’Or, beating out Cristiano Ronaldo, Antoine Griezmann, and Lionel Messi. After winning this prize, the Real Madrid midfielder became the first from his home country of Croatia to do so.
Modric was instrumental in his club’s third consecutive Champions League title, where he established himself as the best midfielder in the world. He may have put an end to the argument in Russia when he led Croatia to the 2018 World Cup final and was named the tournament’s best player. Since then, he has won the 2018 UEFA Men’s Player of the Year title and the FIFA Best Men’s Player honor for 2018.
King of Football 2017
Cristiano Ronaldo has been the King of Football in 2017. The Real Madrid star won the Ballon d’Or in 2017 after leading his side to a La Liga and Champions League double in 2016-17. It’s the fifth time that the Portugal international has received the award.
During the 2016-17 season, he scored 25 goals in La Liga and 12 goals in the Champions League, including a brace in the final against Juventus.
Ronaldo scored 42 goals in 46 appearances with 11 assists across 2016-17. In October, he was voted the Best FIFA Men’s Player of 2016-17. Check out the King of Football in 2017 goal stats here.
King of Football in 2016
Cristiano Ronaldo has been the King of Football in 2016. The prolific Portuguese won his fourth Ballon d’Or, defeating Lionel Messi and Antoine Griezmann. In 2008, 2013, and 2014, Ronalda previously won the prestigious award and possibly had his most successful year, winning the Champions League with Real Madrid before captaining his country to European Championship gold in France.
During the 2015-16 season, Ronaldo scored 51 goals in 48 appearances with 15 assists. In Jan 2016, he was awarded the Best FIFA Football Awards.
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Who is the King of Football – FAQs
Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema can be recognized as the King of Football in 2022, given his commendable impact during the 2021-22 European season.
Pelé is regarded as the god of football. Take a look at this article to know why.
Lionel Andrés Messi is the richest footballer. Take a look at this article to know about the top 18 richest football players.
The Ballon d’Or (Golden Ball) is an annual football award given by the French news magazine France Football to the male football players who have performed the best in the preceding year, as determined by a vote by football journalists.
Lionel Messi owns the most Ballons d’Or to date, with seven awards.