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The Ballon d'Or is the most coveted prize available to an individual in the beautiful game. The prestigious award has been given some of football's greatest exponents over the years and has made a place for itself in conversations surrounding the most talented players to have ever graced the sport.
France Football generally presents the award on a yearly basis but decided against selecting a recipient for the Ballon d'Or in 2020 because of the European football season's disrupted schedule. For 2021, however, the Ballon d'Or is set to return and the race to secure the prize is likely to witness fierce battles for the remainder of the year.
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Ballon d'Or race returns to 2021 after year's hiatus
The Ballon d'Or has been largely dominated by Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo over the past decade. The two modern-day legends have maintained a strong duopoly that has only been broken by Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric.
While the two greats remain in contention for football's most coveted prize, several other players have entered the fold with their exceptional performances over the past year. The Ballon d'Or cements a player's place among the legends of the beautiful game and this year's award ceremony may well witness a new recipient.
#5 Neymar
Neymar was considered Brazil's shining light at a young age and was tipped to become a favourite to win the Ballon d'Or in the prime of his career. The Brazilian winger learnt from the best at Barcelona and wreaked havoc alongside Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez.
Neymar moved on to Ligue 1 and Paris Saint-Germain when he was at his peak and his performances have often slipped under the radar over the past few years. In 2020, however, the former Barcelona superstar rose to the occasion and nearly guided Paris Saint-German to their first UEFA Champions League trophy.
Neymar is unplayable at his best and has always been in contention to win the Ballon d'Or. The talented forward faces intense competition for the award this year, however, and will have to go a step further on the European front to win his first Ballon d'Or.
#4 Kevin De Bruyne
Over the past few years, Kevin De Bruyne has grown into one of the best modern midfielders in the world. The Belgian superstar is one of the most complete players in world football at the moment and offers a combination of tenacity and exceptional creative flair.
Pep Guardiola has built his midfield unit around Kevin De Bruyne and relies on the talented star to pull the strings for his side. De Bruyne has singlehandedly pulled Manchester City across the finish line on several occasions over the past few years and has an outside chance of winning the Ballon d'Or.
The former Chelsea man has not hit the spectacular heights that he is capable of this season but has what it takes to step up to the plate in the coming months. Manchester City are hungry for silverware at the moment and De Bruyne could bring the Ballon d'Or to the Premier League.
Also Read: 5 Barcelona players who are out of favour under Ronald Koeman
#3 Lionel Messi
Six-time Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi has not had a good couple of years at Barcelona. The Argentine genius has already played under three different managers over the past year and has been visibly below his best both in Spain in Europe.
Despite Barcelona's underwhelming performances in the recent past, Lionel Messi's numbers tell a different story. After a slow start to the La Liga season under Ronald Koeman, Messi has made his way to 11 goals in the league and will likely mount another challenge for the Ballon d'Or in the coming months.
Barcelona have shown signs of a resurgence in recent weeks but still have plenty of work to do to restore their former glory. Lionel Messi's own future remains unclear as the likes of Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain are vying for the Argentine's signature. With Messi's talents, however, the Ballon d'Or is always within reach.
#2 Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo has enjoyed an incredible career and continues to wreak havoc in Italy with Juventus. The Portuguese superstar has won five Ballon d'Ors in his decorated career and will want to draw level with arch-rival Lionel Messi with another individual award this year.
Ronaldo was in contention to win the Ballon d'Or in 2020 and will have to battle against fierce competition to secure the coveted prize. Juventus are yet to hit their peak under Andrea Pirlo and rely heavily on Cristiano Ronaldo at the moment and pull the side across the finish line in the Serie A on a weekly basis.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi share an incredible rivalry and the Ballon d'Or has found a way to become a marker of greatness for the two modern-day legends. Ronaldo has already scored 15 goals in only 13 league matches this season and will have to take it up a notch in the UEFA Champions League to become the frontrunner for the Ballon d'Or this year.
#1 Robert Lewandowski
Of all the illustrious names that have remained in contention for the Ballon d'Or over the past two years, Robert Lewandowski will have arguably felt the most hard done by after France Football's decision to do away with the 2020 edition of the prize. Lewandowski definitively deserved to win the Ballon d'Or last year after a sensational treble-winning campaign with Bayern Munich and a flurry of goals in Germany and in Europe.
The 2020-21 campaign has seen Bayern Munich derailed by a considerable number of defensive lapses. Robert Lewandowski remains the silver lining, however, and has already scored an astonishing 21 goals in only 14 Bundesliga appearances. The Bavarian giants face Lazio in the next round of the UEFA Champions League and will have to work hard to keep their crown.
The Ballon d'Or is the most decorated individual prize in the world of football and Robert Lewandowski's incredible career entitles him to a fair shot at the prize. The Polish striker is still one of Bayern Munich's most important players and remains in the driver's seat to lift the Ballon d'Or in 2021.
Also Read: 5 Barcelona players who have improved under Ronald Koeman
