The Ballon d'Or has been presenting to the best footballer of the year since 1958. Journalists, coaches, and national team captains vote to choose the best footballer in Europe. The European Football Championship was held this year. A notable number of players from European football leagues competed in Copa America. Apart from those who have performed well in the domestic leagues, individuals who had thrived in these two international tournaments will also be evaluated. We can expect several potential candidates for the 2021 award. Among them are Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. The Ballon d'Or 2021 predictions are discussed in this article.
The Probable Contenders for the Coveted Ballon d'Or 2021 Award
We have created a list of the top performers this year thus far to find out who could win the prestigious Ballon d'Or 2021 award. Let's have a look at the players who made it onto our list.
10) Luis Suarez (Uruguay&Atletico Madrid)
Key achievements in 2021: La Liga
Lethal striker Luis Suarez joined Atletico Madrid last season. He played a key role in Atletico Madrid's success. Suarez led his team with 21 La Liga goals in the 2020/2021 season, helping Atletico win their tenth La Liga title. Though Suarez had a quiet Copa America 2021 tournament. Colombia knocked Uruguay out in the quarter-finals.
Read:Copa America 2021 Final: Di Maria’s Early Strike Sinks Brazil
09) Neymar (Paris Saint-Germain& Brazil)
Key achievements in 2021: Coupe de France &Trophee des Champions
Neymar had a good 2020/2021 season with PSG. He helped PSG to win two domestic competitions. Later, he was instrumental in guiding Brazil to the Copa America 2021 final. Neymar was one of the best players in the tournament despite losing the final 1-0 to Argentina. He scored twice and had three assists in the competition.
08) Robert Lewandowski (Germany& Bayern Munich)
Key achievements in 2021: Bundesliga &Fifa Club World Cup
Bayern Munich's Robert Lewandowski maintained his goal-scoring abilities In the 2020/2021 season. He scored 41 goals in 29 games for Bayern Munich, helping them win the Bundesliga and the Fifa Club World Cup. Lewandowski scored three goals for Poland in the EURO 2020 tournament, however they finished bottom in their group and were eliminated from the competition.
Read:Italy wins Euro 2020, beats England in penalty shootout
07) Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal&Juventus)
Key achievements in 2021: Coppa Italia &SupercoppaItaliana
Cristiano Ronaldo scored most 29 goals in the 2020/2021 Serie A season and helped Juventas to win Coppa Italia &SupercoppaItaliana. Ronaldo also finished top in the most goal scorers chart at EURO 2020 with 5 goals. He's a strong contender for the Ballon d'Or 2021 award.
06) RomeluLukaku (Belgium& Inter Milan)
Key achievements in 2021: Serie A
Last season, Inter Milan won Serie A for the first time in 11 years, thanks to Belgian striker RomeluLukaku's 24 goals and 11 assists. He has been in fantastic form this year. Lukaku also had four goals in the Euro 2020 competition.
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05) Gianluigi Donnarumma (Italy, AC Milan, & PSG)
Key achievements in 2021: EURO 2020
Gianluigi Donnarumma had the most clean sheets with 14 for AC Milan in the 2020/2021 season. He was a key member of the Milan side that finished second in the league. However, Donnarumma grabbed everyone's attention with his outstanding performances in the EURO 2020 knockout rounds.
04) Kevin De Bruyne (Belgium& Manchester City)
Key achievements in 2021: Premier League &Carabao Cup
Kevin de Bruyne is the most important player for Manchester City and Belgium. This excellent midfielder assisted Manchester City in winning many titles in the 2020/2021 season. However, Kevin de Bruyne failed to take Belgium to another big international final. Belgium were knocked out of the competition in the quarter-finals.
Read:EURO 2020 Final: Italy Seal European Football Championship
03) Jorginho (Italy& Chelsea)
Key achievements in 2021: Champions League &EURO 2020
Jorginho is enjoying a fantastic 2021 year. He won the UEFA Champions League with Chelsea in May and the EURO 2020 with the Italian national team two months later. He is a gifted midfielder who should be a candidate for the Ballon d'Or 2021 award.
02) N'Golo Kante (France& Chelsea)
Key achievements in 2021: Champions League
N'Golo Kante was the most important player in Chelsea's 2021 Champions League victory. His contribution to Chelsea in the Champions League semifinals and finals was immense. However, he had a quiet Euro 2020 tournament, as France were eliminated in the Round of 16 by Switzerland. Despite that, Kante remains one of the top contenders for the Ballon d'Or in 2021.
Read Messi’s Argentina beats Brazil 1-0, wins Copa America title
01) Lionel Messi (Argentina& Barcelona)
Key achievements in 2021: Copa del Rey& Copa America 2021
Lionel Messi has been in incredible form this year. Messi helped Barcelona win the Copa del Ray last season. However, he has emerged as the leading contender for the Ballon d'Or 2021 award following Argentina's Copa America 2021 triumph. Messi was the tournament's top scorer, with four goals and five assists. It will be his seventh Ballon d'Or if he wins.
Bottom Line
Professional footballers in Europe dream to win the Ballon d'Or award at least once, so this individual honor carries a lot of importance. Chelsea's French midfielder N'Golo Kante was the clear favorite to win the Ballon d'Or 2021 prior to the continental tournaments. However, Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Jorginho have emerged as favorites following their outstanding performances in the respective regional championships. This year still has five months left. There might be a lot of twists and turns in the following months and equations could change once again.