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It may only be the beginning of March, but the battle for the 2021 Ballon d’Or is already heating up. A host of new faces have joined familiar names Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in the fray for the game’s highest individual honour.
After only two months of the year, it may seem premature to consider the winner of this year's Ballon d'Or award, which was last awarded in January 2020 to Barcelona’s Lionel Messi. But given it is effectively a six-month sprint to secure the biggest team titles, it is also a critical period for those seeking to win the Ballon d’Or award.
As such, the 2021 Ballon d'Or race is already one-third run. On that note, here are the five greatest contenders for the 2021 Ballon d’Or award,
#5 Lionel Messi (Barcelona/Argentina)
A winner of a record six Ballon d’Or titles, Lionel Messi, is still gracing the game and likely to win more individual and team accolades.
The odds, however, are much reduced this year, as Barcelona are off the pace in La Liga and face a miracle to qualify for the Champions League quarter-finals.
Lionel Messi is still playing at a very high level, but he is not the most likely to win the 2021 Ballon d'Or award. Nevertheless, against Sevilla in the Copa del Rey semi-finals, Messi and Barcelona roared back from a 2-0 first-leg deficit to qualify for the final.
There is, however, the prospect of winning the Ballon d'Or award off the back of his international performances. Argentina will seek to win their first Copa America since 1993 this summer. If Messi helps them achieve that, he will soar in the list of contenders for this year's Ballon d'Or award.
The problem, of course, is that so often, the six-time Ballon d'Or winner has failed to deliver a title for Argentina, a nation that has produced great individual players but rarely a great team. With such a mix of quality in their ranks, though, Messi and co should not be discounted to finally break their long title drought.
#4 Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus/Portugal)
Another of football’s grand old stagers, Cristiano Ronaldo (5), is only behind Lionel Messi for the most Ballon d'Or awards won by any player.
The five-time Ballon d'Or winner, though, is ambitious and will be eyeing number six this year to draw level with his arch-rival.
Both players still have the benefit of rampant popularity, which is always beneficial in a vote. But like Messi, Ronaldo finds himself at a club that is punching well below its weight.
Juventus are powering headlong into their most disappointing season in the last decade. They are a whopping ten points behind league leaders Inter in Serie A and 2-1 down against Porto in the Champions League Round of 16. That means major honours may elude Ronaldo this season.
But he does have an ace to play at Euro 2020 this summer. Portugal have one of the strongest squads in Europe and will fancy their chances of a successful title defence. If they are successful, Cristiano Ronaldo would likely climb up the list of contenders for this season's Ballon d'Or award.
#3 Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich/Poland)
The man who was robbed of his first Ballon d’Or award last year because of the COVID-19 pandemic – a premature call from the committee that organises the award – it would be understandable if Robert Lewandowski earned some brownie points from the voting panel this time around.
Lewandowski may not be the most graceful of strikers, but there is no doubt he has been the most prolific one in the last few years. He has played an immense role in Hansi Flick’s Bayern Munich steamrollering every team before them.
However, for Lewandowski to win this year's Ballon d'Or award, Bayern Munich will have to produce another stellar season. The Bundesliga is virtually taken for granted for the German giants, but they have work to do in the Champions League.
Unlike the other main contenders for this year's Ballon d'Or award like some of his teammates like Joshua Kimmich, who would be among the favourites if it was a less offensively-biased voting panel, Lewandowski will not have the luxury of playing for a side likely to win a major international title this summer.
Poland will be at Euro 2020 this summer, but they are unlikely to win it, something that might not augur well for Lewandowski's chances of winning the 2021 Ballon d'Or award.
#2 Kylian Mbappe/Neymar (Paris Saint-Germain)
It is difficult to split the Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) duo of Kylian Mbappe and Neymar, and that is one of the main reasons they are probably unlikely to win the Ballon d’Or award this year. If PSG do go all the way in the Champions League, it is probable that the pair could split the votes.
Certainly, Mbappe roared into early contention for the 2021 Ballon d'Or award thanks to his hat-trick in the 4-1 dismantling of Barcelona at Camp Nou, a match where Neymar was conspicuous by his absence. The Brazilian will hope to return for the second leg but may not be at full capacity.
Mbappe may have shone in the spotlight in Catalunya, but it is Neymar who has been posting the better performances so far this season for PSG. He has been the player to make them tick, although his persona means he will never be loved in a way Messi or even Ronaldo are. That could count against the Brazilian in the Ballon d’Or stakes this year.
If the two are to be split, it is likely to come about in the major championships. If Mbappe can back up his stellar performance at the 2018 FIFA World Cup with one at the Euros, he will definitely have the definite edge. But even Neymar could replicate that with Brazil at the Copa America.
#1 Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City)
Manchester City’s achievements this season have been laudable, but the manner in which Pep Guardiola’s side is set up, it is virtually impossible for anyone individual to shine. Nevertheless, after a 20-match plus winning streak, it would be remiss to overlook a member of their squad for Ballon d'Or glory this year.
Superstar status counts in a vote such as the Ballon d’Or, and the closest that City have to someone of that ilk is playmaker Kevin De Bruyne. He is the man whose ingenuity can lever apart defences, and he is the man most readily clipped for YouTube compilations. Others may have been more important – Ruben Dias and Ilkay Gundogan, for example – but they do not possess the same magnetic quality as De Bruyne does.
Furthermore, De Bruyne has the opportunity to finally realise Belgium’s potential in the summer at Euro 2020. If the Red Devils go deep in the competition, he could likely have had a hand in their success. Belgium have a chance, of course, with Romelu Lukaku in red-hot form in attack and quality elsewhere on the field.
Moreover, with City looking good for this season's Premier League title and possibly even the Champions League, De Bruyne should not be discounted for the biggest individual prize of all - the Ballon d'Or.
