Just two weeks left for delivery one of the most open and competitive Ballon d’Or, at least a priori, in recent years. On November 29, the gala magazine France Football awards the most prestigious individual award in the world, which recognizes the best footballer of 2021.
The winner, unlike what has happened on many other occasions, is not only not at all clear, but the candidate theorists seem to be more than ever. Leo Messi pointed to a great favorite after the conquest of the last Copa América, but his weak start to the season with Paris Saint-Germain and the great year that Karim Benzema and Robert Lewandowski have equaled the battle. Other names like Jorginho, the great collective winner for their titles, and Cristiano Ronaldo, seem to have fewer options despite not being ruled out.
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Leo Messi aspires to take his seventh Balloon of Gold, increasing the distance with his great pursuer, Cristiano Ronaldo (has 5). The Argentine continues to add scandal figures (28 goals and 9 assists in 29 games with Barça in 2021), but he only lifted a Copa del Rey as a Barça player and once again added a disappointment in the Champions League (overwhelming elimination against PSG). In addition, in his new team, he is not performing at the height of what is expected due to the constant injuries.
Thus, his great asset, in addition to his tremendous numbers, is the conquest of the America’s Cup. Messi lifted his first title with the Albiceleste in a tournament that the Argentine player dominated, being the undisputed best player.
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Robert Lewandowski he stayed without Ballon d’Or last year when he was the undisputed big favorite, and in this he hopes that his goals repair that injustice. No less than 34 goals in 45 games with Bayern is the Pole, who also won the Bundesliga, the two Super Cups and the World Cup last season. In the Champions League, his team was eliminated by PSG, but Lewandoswki could not play for a minute due to injury.
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Karim Benzema he is falling in love with his football in the last campaigns, and in this 2021 its effectiveness has gone to more. To his great talent he now adds impressive figures (14 goals and 8 assists this season in just 27 games), which have made him a clear contender for the award. Not having lifted any great title with Real Madrid last season and France’s hit in the Eurocup are his great handicap, although he did win the Nations League with Blues.
Cristiano Ronaldo He’s always in the pools, but this doesn’t seem like it’s going to be his year. The Portuguese is still insatiable, scoring goals one after the other, but neither in Juventus nor in Manchester United they are toaccompanying the collective successes. Have become ehe top scorer in the history of national teams seems like an insufficient achievement.
Jorginho represents the success of the collective over the individual. The Italian-Brazilian midfielder conquered the Champions League with Chelsea, being the player on whom the continental champion’s game turned, and was key in the conquest of the Eurocup by Italy. However, individual brilliance is not his strong suit, and he is not even the undisputed leader of his team and his selection.
Players like Mo Salah, Kylian Mbappé, Kevin de Bruyne or Gianluigi Donnaruma have shone but it seems highly unlikely that they will lift the award.
These are the 30 candidates:
César Azpilicueta (Chelsea, Spain)
Nicolò Barella (Inter, Italy)
Karim Benzema (Real Madrid, Francia)
Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus, Italy)
Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus, Italy)
Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United, Portugal)
Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City, Belgium)
Rúben Dias (Manchester City, Portugal)
Gianluigi Donnarumma (Paris Saint-Germain, Italy)
Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United, Portugal)
Phil Foden (Manchester City, England)
Erling Haaland (Dortmund, Norway)
Jorginho (Chelsea, Italy)
Harry Kane (Tottenham, England)
N’Golo Kanté (Chelsea, France)
Simon Kjaer (Milan, Dinamarca)
Lautaro Martínez (Inter, Argentina)
Robert Lewandowski (Bayern, Polonia)
Romelu Lukaku (Chelsea, Bélgica)
Riyad Mahrez (Manchester City, Argelia)
Kylian Mbappé (Paris Saint-Germain, Francia)
Lionel Messi (Paris Saint-Germain, Argentina)
Luka Modric (Real Madrid, Croatia)
Gerard Moreno (Villarreal, Spain)
Mason Mount (Chelsea, Inglaterra)
Neymar (Paris Saint-Germain, Brazil)
Pedri (Barcelona, Spain)
Mohamed Salah (Liverpool, Egypt)
Raheem Sterling (Manchester City, Inglaterra)
Luis Suárez (Athletic, Uruguay)
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