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#3 Ballon d'Or
Lionel Messi is the favourite to win the Ballon d'Or for the seventh time after his spectacular performances at Copa America 2021.
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Messi was Barcelona's best player last season and was the best player at the Copa America 2021, where he captained Argentina to victory. The superstar forward has already won six Ballon d'Or awards, arguably the most prestigious individual prize in football.
The Ballon d'Or has been dominated by Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo for some time now, and Messi's excellent summer could see him pip the likes of Jorginho, N'Golo Kante, Robert Lewandowski and Ronaldo to the award.
#2 UEFA Player of the Year
Another prestigious individual accolade in football, the UEFA Men's Player of the Year award is awarded to the best player for both club and country in the previous season.
Cristiano Ronaldo has won three UEFA Men's Player of the Year awards, while Lionel Messi has two. Bayern Munich's Robert Lewandowski is the current holder the trophy, having won for his spectacular performances during the 2019/20 season.
Lionel Messi was at his very best for Barcelona last season. In 35 La Liga games, he scored 30 goals and provided nine assists, while he was also the best player at the Copa America 2021. Messi could complete a clean sweep of the awards this season.
#1 The Best FIFA Men's Player
Football might be a team sport, but the individual awards on offer often create huge debates among critics and fans.
There have been some iterations of the Best FIFA Football Awards. Currently the men's award is called the Best FIFA Men's Player, with Bayern Munich's Robert Lewandowski once again the current holder of the title.
Lionel Messi finished third last year, behind Lewandowski and Cristiano Ronaldo. Awarded to the world's best men's player, Messi stands an excellent chance of winning the award. The diminutive forward has previously won this iteration of the trophy in 2019.
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