Six-time champion Lionel Messi and five-time champion Cristiano Ronaldo are both selected for the 2021 Men’s Ballon d’Or. 30 candidates.
The two, along with Robert Lewandowski, Jorginho and N’Golo Kanter, are the main contenders for the award. It is worth mentioning that the Golden Globe is the most coveted personal award in football. In the summer, Messi won the Copa America with Argentina, ending the wait for major international trophies, while Kanter and Jorginho helped Chelsea win the Champions League.
There are five Chelsea players on the list, including captain Cesar Aspilicueta. There are also five candidates from the Premier League champions Manchester City. Some other notable names on the list include Neymar, Kelly ambape, Erlin Harland, Mohamed Salah, Kevin De Bruyne, Harry Kane, Luis Suarez, and Karim Benzema .
It is widely expected that Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski will win last year’s award, but due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the award was cancelled by the organizers. Lewandowski played 29 times for Bayern in the 2020-21 Bundesliga, scoring 41 goals. The men’s and women’s football category awards will be presented at the Chatelet in Paris on November 29th. Twenty female players were also shortlisted in the women’s football category.
It is worth noting that Megan Rapinoe, the American star who won the award in 2019, did not make the list.
News Source : Sports Tiger
