Ballon d'Or 2022 Live Streaming: When, where and how to watch the ceremony in India

Bengaluru, October 14: The biggest names in world football will gather in Paris early next week for the prestigious annual Ballon d'Or 2022 ceremony, hosted by France Football.

Considered amongst the top football awards, Ballon d'Or has played a significant role in recognizing the greatest football players across the world.

The award, which roots back to 1956, has seen some great players rise to fame, from Stanley Matthews to Lionel Messi. In 2018, the marquee award started honouring top women football players, and Ada Hegerberg became the first female footballer to receive the Ballon d'Or.

The 66th edition of the marquee awards will go down in history as it will be the first time the results will be announced based on a season and not year. This year's ceremony will also see the ever-present Lionel Messi miss out.

But his rival Cristiano Ronaldo features along with 29 other nominees, who will be voted for by 180 journalists from around the world. With 7-time winner Messi out of the race, the 2022 Ballon d'Or could see a new winner as top football players gear up for the night.

Ballon d’Or 2022: Nominees List, Ceremony Date, Time, Telecast and Live Streaming Information

The nominees were announced earlier this year on August 12 with fans rooting for Real Madrid star Karim Benzema to steal the show and win the coveted award. Other players in the race include Bayern Munich's Sadio Mane and FC Barcelona's Robert Lewandowski.

Apart from the men's award, the ceremony will also see awards distributed in the women's category, the Kopa Trophy (presented to the best performing player under the age of 21) and the Yashin Trophy (recognising the best goalkeeper).

In the women's category, Barcelona and Spain's midfielder Alexia Putellas leads the nominee list as a fan favourite, followed by Chelsea's Sam Kerr and Arsenal's Beth Mead.

Ballon d'Or Winners List: Full list of award winners from 1956 to 2021

In the goalkeeper's category, Real Madrid's Thibaut Courtios is the favourite, while young players award will be close to call. This year the nominees mainly feature players from the Champions League teams including the title-winning Real Madrid side.

Here is all you need to know about Ballon d'Or 2022:

When and where is Ballon d'Or 2022 ceremony happening?

The 2022 Ballon d'Or ceremony will take place on Monday (October 17) at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris. The official ceremony will start around 6:30 PM GMT (12 AM IST, October 18) and will run until 8 PM GMT (1:30 AM IST, October 18).

How to watch the Ballon d'Or 2022?

The ceremony will be available to stream live for free on L'Equipe's YouTube channel and website.

Where to watch Ballon d'Or 2022 in India?

Sony Pictures Network (SPN) has acquired the broadcast rights for the Ballon d'Or 2022 ceremony in the Indian subcontinent, including India, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Maldives, and Sri Lanka and non-exclusive rights in Pakistan.

The broadcaster will telecast the Ballon d'Or 2022 ceremony LIVE on SONY TEN 2 channels on Monday (October 17) from 10:20 PM IST. The awards will also be live-streamed on SPN's on-demand OTT platform SonyLIV.