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The Ballon d'Or is expected to be back this term after last year's absence and the usual suspects are expected to be given a run for their money this time around.
Widely viewed as the most prestigious individual accolade in the history of the beautiful game, the Ballon d'Or which is awarded by the France Football magazine is decided by a combination of votes from journalists, national team captains and coaches in world football.
The Ballon d'Or award was cancelled last year in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. 2019-20 was a season that was heavily disrupted but the 2020-21 season has been going without any hitches so far.
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It has been packed with surprises though. One look at the state of the points table of the European top-flight leagues will confirm the same. Here, we rank the best performing individuals in Europe.
Honorable mentions: Erling Haaland and Neymar Jr.
While Erling Haaland continues to impress one and all with his natural finishing ability and maturity, Neymar Jr. has continued to exude class and has been Paris Saint-Germain's standout performer in the UEFA Champions League.
Haaland has 27 goals from 23 appearances across all competitions this term while Neymar has 12 goals and three assists from 18. Both of them remain on the periphery of our list and could break into the top ten if they can keep it up.
#10 Son Heung-Min
The Tottenham Hotspur forward Son Heung-Min has truly come to his own over the past few seasons and we are seeing the best of him this term. Partnered with Harry Kane uptop by Jose Mourinho, the South Korean international has been turning in excellent performances for the Lilywhites.
The 28-year-old who loves to operate down the left flank has been very productive this term and has chipped in with goals and assists aplenty as Spurs got off to a flying start to the season. They have stuttered a bit since but Son Heung-Min continues to be a force to be reckoned with and a constant pain in the neck of opposition defenders.
Son has 15 goals and seven assists from 25 appearances across all competitions this season. His exploits in the Premier League have been quite extraordinary having scored 12 goals and set up another six from across 18 appearances.
#9 Kevin De Bruyne
Kevin De Bruyne did take a while to kick into gear in the new season but the Belgian hitting his stride has been fundamental to Manchester City's title charge this term. The master playmaker has been pulling the strings from midfield to great effect.
There were apprehensions about how he would cope in the absence of his midfield partner David Silva who left the club after a decade of impeccable service to the Etihad outfit. However, KDB has proven that he can keep things ticking even with a change in the personnel around him.
While his goalscoring returns have diminished from last season, the 29-year-old has been outstanding in providing service to his attackers and has racked up a total of 17 assists for both club and country this season from across 27 appearances. KDB has also scored four goals as well.
#8 Romelu Lukaku
Romelu Lukaku wasn't a great fit for Manchester United and all parties are in agreement to that. But he is exactly the kind of attacker that Antonio Conte adores and he is absolutely thriving at Inter Milan.
After a highly productive 2019-20 season, Romelu Lukaku has kicked on in the same vein and has been immense for the Nerazzurri this term. He has scored 23 goals from 30 appearances for both club and country across all competitions so far this term and has been at his belligerent best once again.
The Belgian has also racked up four assists in that time and is one of the deadliest strikers in Europe right now.
#7 Joshua Kimmich
Joshua Kimmich has a place all for himself among the great players who have successfully shifted positions at the highest level. After being used as a right-back in his initial days, Kimmich has now made the defensive midfield position his own and is arguably one of the best in the business right now.
His productivity in terms of goals and assists from a holding role is ridiculously good. Joshua Kimmich is an excellent passer of the ball and he has picked up 12 assists from 14 appearances in the Bundesliga and UEFA Champions League combined, so far this season.
The 25-year-old has also scored three goals from midfield during that time. Kimmich has grown into a stalwart in midfield for Hansi Flick and he is a vital cog in the juggernaut that Bayern Munich is.
#6 Kylian Mbappe
Different season, same story. Kylian Mbappe continues to tear defences apart with his pace and technique as he kicks on with his growth into one of the finest footballers on the planet.
The Frenchman has been clocking incredible numbers yet again. 21 goals and 10 assists from 27 appearances for both club and country makes him one of the most lethal attackers in the game. Paris Saint-Germain would find it really difficult to replace him if he does decide to move on at the end of the season.
Mbappe has 14 goals and six assists from 17 appearances in the Ligue 1 this term. Four of those appearances have been off the bench. After their initial troubles, Paris Saint-Germain are back on track both domestically and in Europe and it is in great part thanks to the 22-year-old's exploits.
#5 Bruno Fernandes
Arguably the best signing in the Premier League over the past few seasons, Bruno Fernandes' entry immediately improved Manchester United as a team. He has made several other attacking midfielders look silly with the sheer ease with which he dictates games.
Bruno Fernandes has a whopping 16 goals and eight assists from 30 appearances for Manchester United this season across all competitions. Mind you, he is a midfielder. Even the best forwards find it hard to keep up with the Portuguese Magnifico's numbers and that speaks volumes of his ability.
#4 Harry Kane
England's Golden Boy, Harry Kane, is one of the best forwards in the game without a doubt. What sets Kane apart from the rest is the fact that he is not only a lethal finisher but a well-rounded footballer whose playmaking skills are at par with his poaching abilities.
It would be fair to say that Harry Kane has stepped it up a notch this season and his goalscoring has been as good as his playmaking. Kane has scored 14 goals and provided as many assists from across 31 appearances for both club and country this term.
Tottenham Hotspur remain within a fair shout of the league leaders and that has a lot to do with the incredible partnership that Harry Kane and Son share up top.
#3 Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi did not get off to the best start to the season but he seems to have hit his stride now. The Argentine has been absolutely brilliant for Barcelona over the past couple of months and even when he's not contributing in terms of goals and assists, he is usually their best player on the pitch.
Lionel Messi has 15 goals and four assists from 23 games for Barcelona this season. Though his productivity has not been at the extraordinary rates that we're used to seeing from him, Messi has still been a cut above the rest on the football field.
Messi is expected to leave Barcelona at the end of the season and the financial condition that they find themselves in, the Cules will find it really difficult to sign someone who can come close to replicating the 33-year-old's numbers.
#2 Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo will turn 36 in a week but the man just refuses to be bogged down by his age. Ronaldo continues to be the main man for Juventus and the Bianconeri has suffered whenever he has been absent.
Ronaldo's goalscoring form has been surreal this term and he is the top scorer in the Serie A this season so far with 15 goals from as many games. Ciro Immobile is second on the top scorers' list and he has two fewer goals from 17 appearances.
He has a goalscoring rate of 1.05 per 90 in the Serie A this season and has a total of 22 goals from 25 appearances across all competitions this term. Ronaldo has also racked up four assists.
#1 Robert Lewandowski
The man who was arguably robbed off the Ballon d'Or last year, Robert Lewandowski, is making a strong case to win it this time around. The Polish international is in a league of his own and there seems to be nothing that can slow him down or even stop him once he gets a clear sight of goal.
From 17 appearances in the Bundesliga, Robert Lewandowski has scored a whopping 23 goals and registered 5 assists. That's a goal + assist tally of 28 from 17 appearances. He has scored three in the Champions League from four games.
Lewandowski is undoubtedly the best striker in the game right now and he has the numbers to show for it. If he can keep this up for the length of the season, it will be criminal to not hand him the Ballon d'Or.
