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The Ballon d'Or is the most prestigious individual accolade in the beautiful game. France Football magazine awards the Ballon d'Or on the basis of a combination of votes from journalists, national team captains and coaches in world football.
The award was cancelled in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic and it is set to return this year.
Euro 2020 and Copa America will have a say in Ballon d'Or 2021
Unlike the year 2020 where Robert Lewandowski was the clear-cut favourite to win the Ballon d'Or, the race for the top individual honour in the game has blown wide open this year. There are several contenders this time around and it's hard to predict which way this one is going to go.
Without further ado, let's take a look at the Ballon d'Or Power Rankings for the month of June.
#10 Bruno Fernandes - Portugal/Manchester United
Bruno Fernandes has received a lot of criticism for his underwhelming performances at Euro 2020. While he is guilty of dropping a couple of duds, Fernandes has become a scapegoat of sorts. Portugal have not been able to produce good team performances and several of their players have underperformed.
But take nothing away from the fact that the Manchester United man had a stellar season at club level. Fernandes was United's guiding light in the 2020-21 campaign. The Red Devils finished second in the Premier League table and reached the Europa League final as well.
The 26-year-old scored 28 goals and provided 17 assists across all competitions this past season.
#9 Ruben Dias - Portugal/Manchester City
Ruben Dias has won the 2021 Premier League Player of the Year Award. He has undoubtedly been a steadying presence at the back for Manchester City since joining from Benfica last summer. Dias played a crucial role in helping Pep Guardiola's men mount a challenge on all fronts.
If City had gone on to win the UEFA Champions League final against Chelsea, Dias' position on this list would have been ever higher. But after losing the Champions League final and then enduring a forgettable outing at Euro 2020, Dias has fallen down the Ballon d'Or Power Rankings.
#8 Erling Haaland - Norway/Borussia Dortmund
Erling Haaland has been unfortunate to watch Euro 2020 from the sidelines as Norway failed to qualify for the tournament. But Haaland had an excellent domestic season with Borussia Dortmund.
The most sought-after striker in the world, Haaland has been tearing it up in Europe with his incredible finishing prowess and athletic ability. He scored 41 goals and provided 12 assists in 41 appearances across all competitions for Borussia Dortmund in the 2020-21 season.
Haaland looks certain to go on to become a top contender in future Ballon d'Or races.
#7 Harry Kane - England/Tottenham Hotspur
Harry Kane has been the best striker in the Premier League for a while now. Despite Tottenham Hotspur having a poor season, Kane shone at an individual level. If it wasn't for him, there is no saying where Spurs could have ended up in the Premier League table.
Kane won the Premier League Golden Boot and the Playmaker Award for the most number of goals scored and assists made. Across all competitions in the 2020-21 season, Kane scored 33 goals and provided 17 assists for Tottenham Hotspur.
However, Kane is yet to score for England at Euro 2020. He turned in colourless displays in three group stage games. England will need their captain to step up if they're to go a long way in the tournament.
#6 Kevin De Bruyne - Belgium/Manchester City
One of the most technically proficient and tactically intelligent midfielders of our times, Kevin De Bruyne continues to be in a league of his own. The Belgian international has already produced a couple of wonderful performances for his national side at Euro 2020.
The 30-year-old was the creative force behind Manchester City's dominance in the 2020-21 season. He scored 10 goals and provided 18 assists in 40 games across all competitions this past season for Manchester City.
He has scored a goal and provided two assists at Euro 2020 and Belgium have progressed to the quarter-finals after beating Portugal in the Round of 16.
#5 Lionel Messi - Argentina/Barcelona
Lionel Messi has had a stunning 2021. His form picked up since the turn of the year and he was instrumental in Barcelona's Copa Del Rey triumph. Messi almost single-handedly pulled the Catalans back into the La Liga title race as well. They eventually bowed out in rather underwhelming fashion but Messi's contributions won't go unnoticed.
He is currently navigating the Copa America 2021 with Argentina but has not exactly got into his groove just yet. Messi scored 38 goals and provided 14 assists across all competitions for Barcelona this past season.
At 34, Messi is still as difficult to defend against as ever and his prolific goalscoring abilities make him one of the greatest in the game right now.
#4 Cristiano Ronaldo - Portugal/Juventus
Cristiano Ronaldo has overtaken his eternal rival, Lionel Messi, in the race for the 2021 Ballon d'Or. He does so on the back of a decent outing at Euro 2020. Ronaldo scored five goals at Euro 2020 before crashing out of the tournament in the Round of 16 against Belgium.
The Portuguese international had quite a productive season at an individual level even though Juventus endured one of their worst campaigns in recent history. Ronaldo won the Serie A Golden Boot with 29 goals in the Italian top-flight.
In total, he scored 36 goals and provided four assists in 44 competitions across all competitions.
#3 Kylian Mbappe - France/Paris Saint-Germain
Kylian Mbappe is poised to finish on the Ballon d'Or podium this time around. France are among the favourites to win the European championship and if they do, Mbappe's chances of winning his maiden Ballon d'Or award will receive a major boost.
The Frenchman is just 22-years-old and that's hard to believe because he has been around and at the top of the game for five years now. He scored 42 goals and provided 11 assists in 47 games across all competitions for Paris Saint-Germain this past season.
He is yet to score for France at Euro 2020 but his blistering pace and incredible trickery has helped France get to the knockout stages unscathed.
#2 N'Golo Kante - France/Chelsea
N'Golo Kante has been one of the most consistent performers in 2021. He signed off on the 2020-21 season by winning the Champions League title. Kante was also Chelsea's main man in the final stages of their triumphant run in Europe's elite competition.
Kante won four back-to-back man-of-the-match awards from the second leg of Chelsea's quarter-final tie all the way to the final against Manchester City. A big-game player, Kante has earned plaudits for his tirelessness and tactical intelligence. He is also a neat passer of the ball and is one of the best in the business when it comes to making recoveries.
Kante is one of the first names on France's teamsheet at Euro 2020. Now that we're into the knockout stages of the tournament, we're hoping to see some more of the Frenchman's brilliance in high-pressure situations.
#1 Robert Lewandowski - Poland/Bayern Munich
Robert Lewandowski was the favourite to win the Ballon d'Or last year. However, the Ballon d'Or awards were canceled in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic and Lewandowski was robbed of it. But he has kicked on in the same vein this year and has been absolutely brilliant for Bayern Munich.
Lewandowski won the European Golden Shoe in the 2020-21 season, scoring 41 goals in 29 Bundesliga appearances. He also broke Gerd Muller's record for the most goals scored in a Bundesliga season. In total, the 32-year-old scored 48 goals and provided nine assists across all competitions for the Bavarians this past season.
Inarguably the finest striker in the world right now, Lewandowski is the closest thing we have to a complete number 9. He is technically adept, has a great leap, can shoot with both feet and is good at taking defenders on and beating them. He also won the Bundesliga with Bayern Munich in the 2020-21 season.
