Ballon d’Or is an annual football award presented by France Football magazine to the best male player in the world. It has been awarded since 1956, with the exception of 2020, when the award was not presented due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Ballon d’Or is considered one of the most prestigious individual awards in football and is often referred to as the “world’s best player” award. It is presented to the best male footballer in the world over the previous calendar year, as voted on by a panel of international journalists, coaches, and captains of national teams. As the World Cup has finished and clubs have resumed their leagues, experts have started predicting the 2023 Ballon d’Or award winner. Let's take a look at the Ballon d'Or 2023 Power Rankings. Top 10 Favourites for the 2023 Ballon d’Or Award Over the years, the Ballon d’Or has been won by some of the biggest names in football, including Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Ronaldo Nazário. The award has also been won by players from a variety of clubs and countries, with players from South America and Europe all being recipients of the award. Let’s see the top contenders for the 2023 Ballon d’Or. Lionel Messi After a title-winning performance at World Cup 2022, Messi’s Ballon d’Or winning possibilities have been increased greatly. Leo may win the award for his performances in the FIFA World Cup 2022, in which he helped lead Argentina to victory. Messi scored 7 goals and assisted 3 goals in the World Cup. In addition to that, in the 2022-23 season with Paris Saint-Germain, Messi had a number of notable performances. Through the halfway of the season, he scored 12 goals in 19 games and assisted 14 goals, helping the team to stay at the top of the points table. He has scored goals in the Champions League so far. Read More: Cristiano Ronaldo denies aiming to win more Ballons d'Or than Lionel Messi However, Messi is yet to play the rest of the season, along with other tournaments. And the 35-year-old is in impressive form. If Messi can maintain his pre-World Cup and World Cup form and win the Champions League title for PSG at the end of the season, then it can be said that no one can stop him from winning the eighth Ballon d’Or. Kylian Mbappe Along with Messi, Mbappe is another top contender to win the Ballon d’Or in 2023. Considering his impressive performance in the 2022-23 season, along with the World Cup, it is certainly a possibility. For his club, PSG, Mbappe has played 20 games so far and has scored 19 goals already with 5 assists. He also scored seven goals during PSG’s run to the UEFA Champions League. He is the current top scorer in UEFA and has a great chance to show his skill in the Champions League knockout phase starting in February 2023. Mbappe also just completed a great World Cup tournament with 8 goals, including a hat trick in the World Cup final and 2 assists in 7 matches. This incredible performance leads him to win the Golden Boot. His impressive performances indicate that he is certainly a contender for the Ballon d’Or and could potentially win the award in 2023. Read More: Mbappe's wonder-strike tops our favourite goals from Qatar 2022 Erling Haaland This Norwegian sensation has been a recent sensation. He is making one record after coming to Manchester City from Borussia Dortmund. Although his country did not qualify for the World Cup, his club performance is good enough to compete for the award. With the way he is scoring goals this season, one has to wonder where he will stand at the end of the season. If he plays like this and if he can bring home the Champions League title, he can win the Ballon d’Or even without participating in the World Cup. It will not be surprising. Also, he has more games to play in the next 6 months. So far, Haaland has scored 24 goals in 19 matches for Manchester City. In addition to that, Earling also has 3 assists in his bag in the 2022/23 season. Haaland has the potential to win the 2023 Ballon d’Or if he continues to perform at a high level and achieves notable success on the pitch. Nevertheless, Erling Haaland is a talented and successful young footballer who has had a number of impressive performances and achievements in his career so far. Neymar Jr. Neymar’s dream of winning the Hexa was shattered after losing to Croatia in the quarter-finals. However, Neymar was in great form before the World Cup. But he could not play two group matches due to injury. He scored a great goal in the quarter to lead the team. Croats equalize the match with a goal at the end of the point. In the end, Neymar’s heart was broken by going to the tiebreaker. He scored 2 goals and one assist in 3 appearances. Read More: 2022 Football Year Review: A Flashback of the Major Events Although Neymar could not sparkle in the World Cup, he had a great performance in 2022-23 for PSG. So far, he has played 20 games and scored 15 goals, along with 12 assists. If Neymar can return to his pre-World Cup form, it can be said that he will be in the race to win the Ballon d’Or. Neymar’s win in the Trophee des Champions may also help him to win the Ballon d’Or in 2023. Robert Lewandowski Lewandowski’s country Poland had to leave after losing to France in the last sixteen of the World Cup in Qatar. He scored only two goals in four matches in the World Cup. Lewandowski joined the Spanish club Barcelona from Bayern Munich this season. He has 20 goals and 6 assists so far this season. His club Barcelona has been knocked out in the first round of the Champions League this season. Along with that, they have also been knocked out of the Europa League. So, Lewandowski will need to focus on La Liga to keep his hope for the Ballon d’Or. Vinicius Junior Vini received the 6th most votes in the 2022 Ballon d’Or awards, and he showed an outstanding performance in the World Cup. Although he scored only one goal in four appearances and had 2 assists, his infield performance was incredible. Read More: Top 10 Highest Paid Footballers in the World in 2022. Further, his performance with Real Madrid is also very promising. Overall he has scored 11 goals so far with nine assists. He also won the UEFA Super Cup for Real Madrid. So, his race to the award depends on the rest of the season as he is the main man at Real Madrid. Kevin De Bruyne Although Bruyne had an underwhelming performance in the World Cup, he still has a chance to race for the Ballon d’Or if he can perform well the rest of the season with Manchester City. So far, Bruyne has appeared in 20 games with Man City and scored three goals while he has 15 assists. He got the seventh most votes in the 2020 award ceremony. However, he is a bit behind this season, and he needs an extraordinary performance for the rest of the season. Julian Alvarez His incredible performance at the World Cup has changed the momentum, and he has joined the race for Ballon d’Or as a new entrant. In his seven appearances, Alvarez scored 4 goals, and few of them were match-winning goals. He also has a good performance with his club Manchester City. Read More: 2022 Cricket Year Review: A Flashback of the Major Events And it is evident that he will get more chances to shine the rest of the season. Overall he has a total of 13 goals and three assists. So, he has a great chance of getting into the Ballon d’Or nominee. Mohamed Salah With 16 goals, five assists, and Community Shield in his bucket, Mohamed Salah is one of the top contenders for the 2023 Ballon d’Or. Although he couldn’t contribute to the World Cup as Egypt did not qualify, Salah’s performance with Liverpool kept him in the award race. He was 8th in last year’s Ballon d’Or race, and he may stay in the top 10 if he can continue his performance throughout the season in the Premier League. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia One of the top stars in the European season so far, “Khvicha” has helped Napoli to lead the Serie A table alongside the Champions League knockout stage. So far, he has scored 10 goals with 11 assists for Napoli in the 2022-23 season. He was also a top contender being ninth last year. So, his performance for the next six months will determine his fate for the Ballon D’or race. Final Worlds Based on his current form and achievement, Messi is clearly ahead in the Ballon d’Or 2023 winning race. However, Leo will have close competition with Mbappe as he is also having a great performance with an excellent pace. It is likely that one of these players will end up taking the award, while there are other players who may be in contention. Read More: FIFA World Cup 2022: Messi’s Records, Argentina’s Road to Victory

The 30-man shortlist for the French Football magazine’s yearly award, the Ballon d'Or, was revealed on August 12 (Friday). For the very first time, the award will be given based on the results of the previous season, not the year. Therefore, this year’s main event will be held on October 17 at the Théâtre du Chatelet. Argentina’s Lionel Messi wasn’t included among the nominees for the first time since 2005. France’s Karim Benzema is the early favoruite to win this year's award. Besides, some of the players from the shortlist are nominated for the award for the first time. Let's look at the Ballon d'Or 2022 predictions. Potential candidates to win the 2022 Ballon d’Or award Some footballers deserve to be included among the top three lists for the gala event because of their outstanding 2021–2022 European club football seasons. Here are the top 10 players that have a chance to take home the prestigious award. 10) Son Heung-min (South Korea & Tottenham Hotspur) Notable achievements in 2021-2022 season:  Premier League Golden Boot (personal) Son Heung-min became the first Asian player to win the Premier League Golden Boot award in the 2021–2022 season with 23 goals. He was one of the top performers in European club football last season. Son netted 30 goals and assisted 10, helping Tottenham to finish in the top four in the points table. Read FIFA suspends India's football body over 'third party influence' 9) Trent Alexander-Arnold (England & Liverpool) Notable achievements in 2021-2022 season: FA Cup, EFL Cup, FA Community Shield, Champions League (Runner-Up) Trent Alexander-Arnold might not be one of the top fullbacks in Europe in terms of defensive prowess. However, going forward, he is one of the best in the world, as evidenced by his 22 assists last season. 8) Thibaut Courtois (Belgium & Real Madrid) Notable achievements in 2021-2022 season:  La Liga, Champions League, UEFA Super Cup, Supercopa de Espana Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois had a fantastic 2021-2022 season with Real Madrid. Courtois made a total of 23 clean sheets and his brilliant performance in the UCL final helped Madrid win their 14th Champions League trophy. 7)  Luka Modric (Croatia & Real Madrid) Notable achievements in 2021-2022 season:  La Liga, Champions League, UEFA Super Cup, Supercopa de Espana At 36, Luka Modric has proved that he is still capable of producing magical performances when needed. Modric had some brilliant moments with Real Madrid last season, especially in the Champions League. Apart from scoring 7 goals, the sensational midfielder also made 14 assists. Read Barcelona sells more assets as it hopes to register players 6) Kevin De Bruyne (Belgium & Manchester City) Notable achievements in 2021-2022 season:  Premier League Attacking midfielder Kevin De Bruyne had another stellar season with Manchester City. He netted 21 goals and assisted 18 times last season, which helped the Citizens to win the Premier League title for the fourth time in five years. 5) Vinicius Junior (Brazil & Real Madrid) Notable achievements in 2021-2022 season:  La Liga, Champions League, UEFA Super Cup, Supercopa de Espana The Brazilian wunderkind Vinicius Junior was one of the key members of Real Madrid’s fruitful 2021–2022 season. He has shown magnificent bondage with Karim Benzema upfront, which ultimately helped the Los Blancos to win the UCL trophy. Vinicius scored 22 goals apart from assisting 19 times. 4) Robert Lewandowski (Poland, Bayern Munich & Barcelona) Notable achievements in 2021-2022 season:  Bundesliga, European Golden Boot (personal) The Polish goal machine, Robert Lewandowski, had another magnificent season with Bayern Munich. He scored 57 times in the 2021–2022 season for the Bavarians. Lewandowski can finish in the top three since the Ballon d’Or is an individual award. Read Benzema, Courtois, De Bruyne on shortlist for UEFA award 3) Mohamed Salah (Egypt & Liverpool) Notable achievements in 2021-2022 season:  FA Cup, EFL Cup, FA Community Shield, Champions League (Runner-Up), Premier League Golden Boot (personal) Liverpool’s main hitman, Egyptian Mohamed Salah, found the net 33 times and made 19 assists as well last season. Salah was one of the main reasons Liverpool reached three finals and finished second in the Premier League. 2) Sadio Mane (Senegal, Liverpool & Bayern Munich) Notable achievements in 2021-2022 season:  FA Cup, EFL Cup, DFL-Supercup, Champions League (Runner-Up) Sadio Mane was simply incredible during the 2021-2022 season. He smashed 33 goals and assisted five times for Liverpool, helping his team to win the FA Cup and EFL Cup. Mane is the early favourite to finish in the top three on the list. 1) Karim Benzema (France & Real Madrid) Notable achievements in 2021-2022 season:  La Liga, Champions League, UEFA Super Cup, Supercopa de Espana, Pichichi Trophy (personal), UCL player of the season (personal), UCL top goal scorer (personal) Almost everyone is of the opinion that Karim Benzema will win the Ballon d'Or 2022 award after a stellar campaign with Real Madrid. He has been Madrid's go-to player for the past two years, scoring goals when his club most needed them. The Frenchman contributed 15 assists along with 48 goals scored for Real Madrid last season. Karim also won the UEFA Nations League (2020–21). Read Rights group urges FIFA, Qatar to compensate WCup workers Verdict The majority of football experts and journalists think that French forward Karim Benzema of Real Madrid will win this year's Ballon d'Or 2022 award because of how he played in the 2021–202 season. Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane are the heavy favorites to place in the top three since Liverpool finished as the runners-up in the Champions League last year. Besides that, Vinicius Junior and Robert Lewandowski are the other two contenders who have a good chance of making the top three list. 

The Ballon d'Or award received a lot of attention this year. The Argentine phenomenon Lionel Messi eventually won the coveted award on Monday (November 29) during a gala ceremony at Paris' Theatre du Chatelet. Three days before the main event, the editor-in-chief of France Football, Pascal Ferre said that Cristiano Ronaldo confessed to him that his only ambition is to win more Ballon d'Or titles than Lionel Messi. However, Ronaldo has refuted this claim, accusing Pascal of damaging his reputation. Let's take a look at the actual story. What did Pascal Ferre say about Ronaldo in the New York Times interview? The New York Times published an interview with Pascal Ferre, editor-in-chief of France Football Magazine, three days before the Ballon d'Or 2021 award ceremony. Pascal discussed his career, his plans to host the gala event of the Ballon d'Or, and a variety of other topics, including footballers' perceptions of the prestigious award. The Ballon d'Or award has turned into a means of determining who is the greatest in the modern-day. As a result, the topic of Messi and Ronaldo's rivalry came up during the interview at one point.  Read:Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal may not qualify for the FIFA World Cup 2022 “Ronaldo has only one ambition, and that is to retire with more Ballons d’Or than Messi and I know that because he has told me.” Pascal Ferre told the New York Times.    Pascal did not specify when Ronaldo made that statement. However, Cristiano Ronaldo was not happy with such remarks by the chief of France Football Magazine. Messi had won the award six times before 2021, while Ronaldo has won five times. Read: Champions League Group Stage Matchday 6: Potential Teams to secure Round of 16 Cristiano Ronaldo's response to Pascal's statement Manchester United's Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo reacted with anger to Pascal's statement on the day of the main event of the Ballon d'Or 2021. Ronaldo responded with a long Instagram post on his verified account. According to him, Pascal allegedly lied in the interview in order to promote himself and his organization. Ronaldo reaffirmed his respect for France Football Magazine and the Ballon d'Or award. He always extends his congratulations to the recipients of this honor. Ronaldo also stated in the post that his major ambition is to win trophies for his club and the national team on a domestic and international level. He is striving to set an example for young players who wish to be professional footballers. Important to note that, Cristiano Ronaldo won the Ballon d'Or for the last time when he was at Real Madrid in 2017. Read: Juventus turmoil: Raided by police and struggling in Serie A The Ballon d'Or 2021 Gala Event's Winners Lionel Messi won the Ballon d'Or in 2021 with 613 points. Alexia Putellas of Barcelona won the Feminin Ballon d'Or 2021 with 186 points. Young sensation from Barcelona, Pedri won the Kopa trophy with 89 points. With 594 points, Italy's Gianluigi Donnarumma won the Yashin trophy. Robert Lewandowski of Bayern Munich won the best striker of the year award with 59 points, while Chelsea of England was named the best club of the year.  Bottom Line Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the all-time great footballers. Ronaldo's greatness will not be determined by the number of Ballon d'Or he won throughout his playing career. However, winning the Ballon d'Or is a really remarkable achievement, and every professional player aspires to win it at least once in their career.    Both Messi and Ronaldo have won the award a total of 12 times. It shows how consistent these two players have been over the past 15 years. They can still play at the highest level for two or three years before retiring. Will Cristiano Ronaldo be able to equal Lionel Messi's Ballon d'Or tally by this time? Read:Ballon d'Or 2021 Winner: Lionel Messi wins the coveted award record seventh time

After a long wait, Argentina and PSG forward Lionel Messi won the prestigious individual award Ballon d'Or for the year 2021 on Monday (November 29) night in Paris. This is his seventh Ballon d'Or award. He was the recipient of this individual honour in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, and 2019. Cristiano Ronaldo has won this award second-most five times after Lionel Messi. The Argentine forward defeated Polish striker Lewandowski by 33 points to be named the Ballon d'Or 2021 Winner. Let’s have a look at the winners of the gala event. The Ballon d'Or Gala Event Winners Aside from the Ballon d'Or, France Football magazine also gave out individual awards to several categories. Ballon d'Or Feminin, Kopa Trophy, Yashin Trophy, Best Striker of the Year, and Best Club of the Year are among the honours. Ballon d'Or 2021 Journalists, national team leaders, and coaches gave Lionel Messi of PSG the most votes (613 points). Robert Lewandowski of Bayern Munich finished second with 580 points, followed by Italian midfielder Jorginho (460), who won EURO 2020 and the Champions League 2021. French striker of Real Madrid, Karim Benzema (239) came in fourth, while defensive midfielder for Chelsea, N'Golo Kante (186) came in fifth. Among the top ten, Cristiano Ronaldo was sixth in the poll, followed by Mohamed Salah, Kevin de Bruyne, Kylian Mbappe, and Gianluigi Donnarumma. Also Read: Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo: Who made the strongest start with the new clubs? Ballon d'Or 2021 (Top 3) Player Club Points Lionel Messi Barcelona & PSG 613 Robert Lewandowski Bayern Munich 580 Jorginho Chelsea 460    Source: https://www.francefootball.fr/ballon-d-or/  Ballon d'Or Feminin Alexia Putellas of Barcelona won the Feminin Ballon d'Or 2021. She was awarded the highest points of 186. Her clubmate Jennifer Hermoso came in second with 84 points, followed by Sam Kerr of Australia.   Read Champions League Group Stage Matchday 6: Potential Teams to secure Round of 16 Feminin Ballon d'Or 2021 (Top 3) Player Club Points Alexia Putellas Barcelona 186 Jennifer Hermoso Barcelona 84 Sam Kerr Chelsea 46    Source: https://www.francefootball.fr/ballon-d-or/ Kopa Trophy The Kopa award is presented to the most promising young player in the world. We have seen a number of young players thrive with their respective clubs and nations this year. Spanish midfielder for Barcelona Pedri won the prize with the highest 89 points. Jude Bellingham of Borussia Dortmund came in second with 39 points, followed by Jamal Musiala of Bayern Munich with 38 points. Read Ind Cup Football: Dhaka Abahani makes good start beating Swadinata KS 2-1 Kopa Trophy (Top 3) Player Club Points Pedri Barcelona 89 Jude Bellingham Borussia Dortmund 39 Jamal Musiala Bayern Munich 38    Source: https://www.francefootball.fr/ballon-d-or/ Yashin Trophy The Yashin trophy is awarded to the best goalie from the previous year. There are several deserving nominees for this honour this year. However, Italy's young goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma beat out everyone with 594 points. Edouard Mendy of Chelsea came in second with 404 points, while Jan Oblak of Atletico Madrid came in third. Also Read: Ballon d'Or 2021: Meet the Nominees Yashin Trophy (Top 3) Player Club Points Gianluigi Donnarumma AC Milan & PSG 594 Edouard Mendy Chelsea 404 Jan Oblak Atletico Madrid 155    Source: https://www.francefootball.fr/ballon-d-or/ Best Striker of the Year Bayern Munich's Polish striker Robert Lewandowski was unable to win the Ballon d'Or 2021, but he did not go home empty-handed. Lewandowski was named the top striker of the year with a total of 59 points. This Polish forward has been in excellent form for the past two seasons and deserves to be recognized for his efforts. Best Club of the Year After a poor start to the season, Thomas Tuchel's Chelsea won the Champions League in 2021. This London-based English team rightly received the France football magazine's best club of the year award. Also Read: Ballon d'Or 2021: Five favorites to win the coveted award Bottom Line Lionel Messi helped Argentina win the Copa America 2021 after a 28-year wait. He was outstanding at the South American Championship in 2021, and also had a fantastic season with FC Barcelona in 2020/2021. While Robert Lewandowski, who finished second, had a tremendous season with FC Bayern Munich. However, the majority of voters picked Lionel Messi as Ballon d'Or 2021 Winner.  

The names of the 30 players who have been shortlisted for the Ballon d'Or 2021 award were published on Friday (October 8)  by France Football magazine. There was speculation that they might give two awards this year, given the fact that the previous year's ceremony was canceled because of the Covid-19 epidemic. However, France football has only published the names of the nominees for this year's award. All the expected names have been selected for the award. Argentina's Lionel Messi leads the latest poll to win the trophy for the record seventh time. Let's take a look at the 2021 Ballon d'Or nominees.  The Ballon d'Or 2021 Candidates Here are the players that have been shortlisted for the Ballon d'Or 2021 award by France football. Italy have a maximum of five players, followed by England with four, France, Spain, and Portugal with three, Argentina and Belgium with two, and Norway, Denmark, Algeria, Croatia, Egypt, Uruguay, Poland, and Brazil with one each.    Goalkeepers Gianluigi Donnarumma (PSG & Italy) Italian goalkeeper Donnarumma is the only goalkeeper in the list. He played a pivotal role in Italy’s EURO 2020 win. Read: Ballon d'Or 2021: Five favorites to win the coveted award Defenders Cesar Azpilicueta (Chelsea & Spain) Spanish defender Azpilicueta won the Champions League with English side Chelsea. Ruben Dias (Manchester City & Portugal) Defender Ruben Dias was named Premier League’s player of the season 2020-2021.   Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus & Italy) Bonucci won EURO 2020 with Italy earlier this July. Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus & Italy) Juventus and Italian Captain Giorgio Chiellini was the heart of Italy’s defense that won the EURO 2020. Simon Kjær (AC Milan & Denmark) Danish defender Simon Kjær had a terrific season with both AC Milan and Denmark. Read Premier League club Newcastle bought by Saudi sovereign fund Midfielders Jorginho (Chelsea & Italy) Playmaker Jorginho won two of the biggest trophies this summer. He helped Chelsea to win the Champions League 2021 and also played an important role for Italy to win UEFA European Championship 2020.   Pedri (Barcelona & Spain) Barcelona’s young midfielder Pedri had an outstanding season with both club and country. Luka Modric (Real Madrid & Croatia) Croatian midfielder Luka Modric played his part with Real Marid and earned a place in the 30-man shortlist for Ballon d'Or 2021 award. Kevin de Bruyne (Manchester City & Belgium) Belgium midfielder Kevin was one of the star players for Manchester City last season and won the Premier League with the Citizens. Phil Foden (Manchester City & England) Foden is an excellent talent. This attacking midfielder showed his true class with both Manchester City and England in EURO 2020. N'Golo Kante (Chelsea & France) Kante was so instrumental in Chelsea’s Champions League triumph last May. Mason Mount (Chelsea & England) Mount is a young promising playmaker. He won the Champions League with Chelsea. Nicolo Barella (Inter Milan & Italy) Barella won Serie A with Inter Milan and EURO 2020 with Italy's national side. Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United & Portugal) Bruno was the best performer for Manchester United in the 2020/2021 season.   Read Brazil wins and Argentina draws away in World Cup qualifiers Forwards Lionel Messi (PSG & Argentina) Messi finally won a trophy with the Argentina national side. He won Copa America 2021 and also won Copa del Rey with FC Barcelona. Neymar (PSG & Brazil) On an individual level, Neymar had a decent season with PSG. Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United & Portugal) Ronaldo was the top scorer in the 2020-2021 Italian Serie A season. He has been the top performer for Manchester United in the current season.  Kylian Mbappe (PSG & France) Mbappe played well for both club and country and deservedly earned a place in the top 30 list. Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich & Poland) Bayern Munich striker broke several records in the 2020/2021 Bundesliga season. Erling Haaland( (Borussia Dortmund & Norway)  Haaland was brilliant with Borussia Dortmund last season. He is an excellent finisher. Lautaro Martinez (Inter Milan & Argentina) Martinez helped Inter Milan to win Serie A for the first time in 10 years. He also played an important role in Argentina’s Copa America 2021 victory.  Mohamed Salah (Liverpool & Egypt) Salah was the top performer for Liverpool in the 2020/2021 season. Romelu Lukaku (Chelsea & Belgium) Lukaku inspired Inter Milan to win Serie A last season. Riyad Mahrez (Manchester City & Algeria) The Algerian forward won the Premier League with Manchester City. Harry Kane (Tottenham & England) Kane was the top scorer in the 2020/2021 Premier League season. Karim Benzema (Real Madrid & France) Benzema was the most consistent performer for Real Madrid in the 2020/2021 season. Karim has been playing well for France since making his comeback earlier this year. Raheem Sterling (Manchester City & England) Sterling had a stellar tournament with England in EURO 2020. With Manchester City, he also won the Premier League. Read: Ballon d'Or 2021 Predictions: Lionel Messi in Pole Position to win Bottom Line The Chatelet Theatre in Paris will host the Ballon d'Or 2021 award ceremony on November 29. This year, there is no obvious favorite because a notable number of players are deserving of the honor. Therefore, panelists will have to consider a variety of factors before voting for a nominee. Individual performance (goals and assists), as well as silverware, are two important factors to take into account. Even though Lionel Messi is often considered the favorite to win the 2021 edition, Jorginho, Lewandowski, Kante, or Benzema cannot be ruled out.

Since 1956, France Football magazine has given the Ballon d'Or to the best player of the year. Usually, the top players from the World Cup, continental football tournaments, and European club football championships fight for the prestigious award. During the selection process of the best footballer of the year, the finest individual performances in the Euro 2020 and Copa America 2021 competitions will be given more priority. Therefore, all eyes are stuck on the best performers in major events. Let’s see who are the top five potential candidates for the Ballon d'Or 2021 award. Top Five Contenders for the Ballon d'Or 2021 Award We have compiled a list of the top five individual performers this year for the renowned Ballon d'Or award 2021. Take a look at the players who made our list. 05) N'Golo Kante (France & Chelsea) Kante’s accomplishments in 2021: Champions League and UEFA Super Cup N'Golo Kante has been Chelsea's most consistent performer this season. Chelsea qualified for the Champions League final thanks to Kante's outstanding performances in the knockout stages. He was outstanding in the CL final against Manchester City, helping the Blues win the tournament for the second time last May. Kante's influence on the current Chelsea squad can't be denied despite the fact that he was relatively quiet in the Euro 2020 tournament for France. Kante is expected to be one of the top five candidates for the Ballon d'Or 2021 award. Read Barcelona coach Koeman says rumors of firing 'probably true' 04) Romelu Lukaku (Belgium & Inter Milan) Lukaku’s accomplishments in 2021: Serie A Striker Romelu Lukaku's fortunes turned around after transferring from Manchester United to Inter Milan in 2019. He helped Inter Milan win the Serie A title for the first time in 11 years with 24 goals and 11 assists. He was Serie A's most valuable player for the 2020/2021 season. Lukaku had a quiet EURO campaign for Belgium, which might affect his chances of winning the Ballon d'Or award. The charismatic forward joined Chelsea from Inter Milan during the summer transfer window of 2021. Lukaku has been one of the top performers for Chelsea in the 2021-2022 season.    03) Robert Lewandowski (Germany & Bayern Munich) Lewandowski’s accomplishments in 2021: Bundesliga & DFL Super Cup  Robert Lewandowski has been one of the finest strikers in the world in the last ten years. He broke Gerd Muller's record for most goals in a single Bundesliga season with 41 goals in the 2020/2021 season. Bayern Munich's most prolific striker has made an excellent start this season. However, Lewandowski failed to lead Poland to the knockout round of the EURO 2020 competition. Despite this, he scored three goals for the Polish national team in the tournament. Read Bruzon era starts brightly as Bangladesh beat Sri Lanka in SAFF opener 02) Jorginho (Italy & Chelsea) Jorginho’s accomplishments in 2021: Champions League, UEFA Super Cup, and UEFA European Championship 2020 Italian creative midfielder Jorginho has won more trophies than anybody else on the list in terms of winning silverware. Jorginho was a key player for Italy at EURO 2020, and he helped Chelsea win the Champions League in 2021. Jorginho is one of the leading candidates for the Ballon d'Or 2021. 01) Lionel Messi (Argentina & Barcelona) Messi’s accomplishments in 2021: Copa del Rey, Copa America 2021  Individually, Lionel Messi had done well for Barcelona last season, assisting them in winning the Copa del Rey. However, Lionel Messi has emerged as one of the leading contenders for the Ballon d'Or 2021 award after winning the Copa America 2021. Lionel Messi's first major trophy with the Argentina national team came in this tournament. Messi was a standout performer for Argentina at the South American Championship. Deservedly, he is now in the lead in the race for the coveted individual trophy. Read SAFF Championship: Bangladesh kick off against Sri Lanka in opener Friday Bottom Line The Ballon d'Or 2021 award will be presented to the best player of the year on November 29, at the Chatelet Theatre in Paris. Personal performance is taken into consideration when picking the best footballer of the year. That’s why sports journalists, national team captains, and coaches will evaluate the individual performances of the nominated footballers before selecting the eventual winner. Based on the achievements of the players, Argentina's Lionel Messi is the overwhelming favorite to win his seventh Ballon d'Or award this year. The diminutive Argentine magician won his first trophy with the national team last July and this success is likely to influence many panelists to vote for Messi. Italy's Jorginho and Polish striker Lewandowski also have a fair chance of winning the award since they have done well for their respective teams. On the other hand, Kante and Lukaku are also on the list by virtue of their praiseworthy performance in 2021 Read Man Utd vs. Villarreal: Cristiano Ronaldo’s late goal gives Manchester United a dramatic win

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. Read Racist abuse targets 3 English players who missed penalties 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. Read Copa America 2021: Lionel Messi vs Neymar da Silva

The Ballon d'Or is the most prestigious annual football award presented by France Football. This magazine has been presenting this award to the best footballer of the year regularly since 1958. At the end of the year, journalists, coaches, and national team captains vote to choose the best footballer in Europe. Every professional footballer's ultimate dream is to win this award. The best players from the clubs that won the Champions League and domestic leagues are usually nominated for the award. The eventual winner is then decided by vote. Who will win the Ballon d'Or 2021 is discussed in this article. The front-runners for the prestigious Ballon d'Or 2021 award We've compiled a list of the best performers so far this year to see who may win the Ballon d'Or 2021 award. Let's take a look at the top 10 players who are on this list. 10) Neymar (Brazil & Paris Saint-Germain) Achievements in 2021:  Coupe de France &Trophee des Champions Brazil's star player Neymar had a decent season with PSG. He was unable to participate in the Champions League quarterfinals due to injury and also failed to assist PSG in winning the domestic league title. Even then, Neymar had shown his charisma in several matches of the 2020/21 season for Paris Saint-Germain.  Read: DPL T20 2021: Marvelous Mominul Shows his T20 Batting Prowess 09) KylianMbappe (Paris Saint-Germain& France) Achievements in 2021: Coupe de France &Trophee des Champions Neymar's teammate KylianMbappe has been in great form this year. Mbappe is scoring regular goals for Paris. Although he could not win any big trophy with PSG, on an individual level he was outstanding.  08) Ruben Dias (Manchester City & Portugal) Achievements in 2021: Premier League & Carabao Cup Portugal's Ruben Dias was Manchester City's top player last season. He was in charge of Manchester's defense last season. Ruben Diaz will be hoping to make an impression during the Euro 2021 tournament for Portugal.  07) Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich & Germany) Achievements in 2021: Bundesliga&FifaClub World Cup Bayern Munich's Polish goal machine Robert Lewandowski was in superb form last season. However, Bayern Munich was unable to win anything other than the FIFA Club World Cup at the start of the year and the Bundesliga.  Read: Shakib, Mustafizur unlikely to play in the remainder of IPL 2021 06) Luis Suarez (Atletico Madrid & Uruguay) Achievements in 2021: La Liga Uruguay striker Luis Suarez left Barcelona last season to join Atletico Madrid. Suarez won La Liga for Atletico Madrid and made an invaluable contribution in winning the Spanish La Liga trophy for Atletico.  05) Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus& Portugal) Achievements in 2021: Coppa Italia &SupercoppaItaliana Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo had maintained his goal-scoring ability in the last season for Juventas. However, the season did not particularly go well for his club. Juventus confirmed their next season Champions League spot in the last match of the league.  04) Lionel Messi (Barcelona & Argentina) Achievements in 2021: Copa del Rey On an individual level, Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi is playing well enough this year. He has netted 28 goals this year but Barcelona could not win anything other than the Copa del Rey last season.  03) RomeluLukaku (Inter Milan & Belgium) Achievements in 2021: Serie A Striker RomeluLukaku played a key role in Inter Milan's Serie A triumph last season. He was in magnificent form throughout the last season. So the Belgian striker is one of the prime contenders to win the next Ballon d'Or trophy.  Read: ICC announces major changes to cricket world cup format  02) Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City & Belgium) Achievements in 2021: Premier League & Carabao Cup Kevin de Bruyne of Manchester City is currently one of the top midfielders in the world. Kevin may win the Ballon d'Or award for the first time if he performs well for the national team at Euro 2021.  01) N'GoloKante (Chelsea & France) Achievements in 2021: Champions League Chelsea and France's standout midfielder N'GoloKante knows how to take possession in the middle. His contribution to Chelsea's Champions League victory was crucial. Kante won the best player of the match award three times in a row in the last season CL from the semi-final to the final. So, Kante is one of the hot favorites to win the Ballon d'Or 2021 award.  Bottom Line Winning the Ballon d'Or at least once is the dream of every professional footballer. Because the athlete who receives this award is highly regarded and admired by everyone. Many famous footballers of the world have established themselves as one of the best players in history by winning this award multiple times. The Frenchman N'GoloKante is one of the favorites to win the Ballon d'Or 2021 this year because he was instrumental in Chelsea's Champions League victory. However, the equation may change if any star player does well in the Euro 2021 tournament. Read: DPL T20 2021: Shakib Al Hasan Shines in First Round

Paris, 22 Oct (AP/UNB) — Lionel Messi will have Cristiano Ronaldo and Virgil van Dijk as rivals for the 2019 Ballon d'Or award. But not Neymar.

Paris, Dec 4 (AP/UNB) — Luka Modric ended the long reign of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo by winning the Ballon d'Or for the first time on Monday, while another first saw Norwegian forward Ada Hegerberg win the inaugural women's trophy.