"Honestly I am wondering" - Chelsea star Edouard Mendy surprised by Ballon d'Or snub

Chelsea number one Edouard Mendy has opened up on his omission from the 2021 Ballon d'Or nomination by suggesting he is still wondering what went wrong. Mendy has stated that his recent performances have been motivated by the Ballon d'Or but still wonders why he missed out.

The 29-year-old shot-stopper believes if he was part of a French side that went to the Euros, there wouldn't have been any doubts about a Ballon d'Or nomination.

Speaking to Canal Plus (via Goal), the Chelsea goalkeeper said:

“It's something that motivates me and pushes me to work. Honestly, I am wondering. If I had played for France and had taken part in the Euro, would we have this debate and this reflection?”

Despite helping Chelsea win the UEFA Champions League last season, Edouard Mendy has been neglected for the prestigious Ballon d'Or. However, Chelsea are very well represented in the award with as many as five players nominated for the award. These include the likes of Mason Mount, Cesar Azpilicueta, N'Golo Kante, Romelu Lukaku and Jorginho.

Edouard Mendy, however, has been nominated for the Yashin Trophy which is awarded to the best goalkeeper in the past year. Other nominees for the award include the likes of Thibaut Courtois, Ederson and Gianluigi Donnarumma.

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Chelsea have never had a player lift the Ballon d'Or

Despite being one of the most successful English teams in recent history, Chelsea are yet to have one of their players win the Ballon d'Or. The closest a Chelsea player has come to lifting the award was when Frank Lampard finished second to Barcelona star Ronaldinho back in 2005.

However, with five nominations this year, there is a realistic chance for that to change. Jorginho is Chelsea's best hope for the Ballon d'Or this year.

The 29-year-old midfielder has had a successful 2020-21 season for both club and country. Jorginho lifted the UEFA Champions League with the Blues before playing a vital role in guiding Italy to Euro 2020 glory against England. The Italian returned to secure the UEFA Super Cup with the Blues at the start of the ongoing season.

However, the Chelsea midfielder is expected to face some tough competition from the likes of Lionel Messi and Robert Lewandowski. Both forwards have scored goals which has seen their teams lift trophies.

Messi guided Argentina to the Copa America title and won the Copa del Rey with Barcelona. Meanwhile, Robert Lewandowski's goals have been vital to Bayern Munich winning a plethora of trophies over the past two seasons.

The 2021 Ballon d'Or ceremony will take place on November 29 in Paris.