October 08, (THEWILL) -The Ballon d’Or has returned to the award stables for 2021, and it is never been more competitive than it is this year. Lionel Messi of Paris Saint-Germain is vying for his incomprehensible seventh award, and while he will undoubtedly be in the mix, there are a slew of other players who actually have a strong chance of winning.
The 30-man shortlist from France Football has just been released, and one of the favourites is Bayern Munich’s Robert Lewandowski, who was widely regarded as the deserving winner in 2020 before the voting was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Jorginho and N’Golo Kante, both candidates for the award, generated a lot of attention in Chelsea’s midfield last season. The former was crucial in Chelsea’s Champions League triumph and in leading Italy to Euro 2020 glory, while the latter was outstanding in the closing moments of Chelsea’s European triumph.
Kevin De Bruyne, the playmaker for Manchester City, is also believed to be in contention. The Belgian was a key member of Pep Guardiola’s team that won the Premier League title and he also won the PFA Player of the Year award for the second year in a row.
Cristiano Ronaldo, who has flourished since returning to Manchester United, and his former partner-in-crime Karim Benzema, whose talent has reached new heights with Real Madrid in recent seasons, are two other outstanding choices.
Mohamed Salah, the Egyptian striker, has helped his chances of winning thanks to his exceptional play in the early months of the 2021/22 season, yet the Reds’ problems last season may see him fall short.
Finally, a shout-out to Simon Kjaer of AC Milan, whose success in 2021 transcends football. The Dane was in charge of the traumatic circumstances at Euro 2020, when teammate Christian Eriksen collapsed on the field after suffering a heart arrest, performing CPR and calming the Inter midfielder’s wife.
The 2021 Ballon d’Or shortlist includes
Riyad Mahrez (Man City)
N’Golo Kante (Chelsea)
Erling Haaland (Borussia Dortmund)
Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus)
Mason Mount (Chelsea)
Harry Kane (Tottenham)
Gianluigi Donnarumma (AC Milan, PSG)
Karim Benzema (Real Madrid)
Raheem Sterling (Man City)
Nicolo Barella (Inter)
Lionel Messi (Barcelona, PSG)
Bruno Fernandes (Man Utd)
Pedri (Barcelona)
Luka Modric (Real Madrid)
Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus)
Kevin De Bruyne (Man City)
Neymar (PSG)
Ruben Dias (Man City)
Lautaro Martinez (Inter)
Simon Kjaer (AC Milan)
Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
Jorginho (Chelsea)
Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
Cesar Azpilicueta (Chelsea)
Romelu Lukaku (Inter, Chelsea)
Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus, Man Utd)
Gerard Moreno (Villarreal)
Phil Foden (Man City)
Kylian Mbappe (PSG)
Luis Suarez (Atletico Madrid)
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
