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The 2021 Ballon d'Or awards ceremony is just a few months away, and we can't wait to find out the latest winner of football's highest individual accolade.
The 2020 edition of the award was cancelled owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. Most would argue that Robert Lewandowski was robbed of his first Ballon d'Or accolade following a stellar 2020-21 campaign.
Lionel Messi, Jorginho and Robert Lewandowski are the favourites to bag this year's Ballon d'Or award. The likes of Karim Benzema, Mohamed Salah and Cristiano Ronaldo are also in contention for the prestigious accolade.
Interestingly, many top players, especially in the Premier League, have Ballon d'Or clauses in their contracts. On that note, here's a look at five such players:
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#5 Thiago Alcantara (Liverpool)
Thiago Alcantara made a move to Liverpool in the summer of 2020 after spending seven glorious years in Germany.
The 30-year-old is arguably one of the most complete midfielders in modern football. He was expected to be one of the first names in Liverpool's team sheet. The Reds signed the midfielder for a cut-price £26 million deal, and it also contained several performance-related bonuses.
Several reports have claimed that a meagre £5 million was paid by the Premier League club up front. The rest was paid after the completion of several clauses and conditions. One such clause says that Liverpool will be required to pay a bonus if The Reds win the Premier League and Champions League during the Spaniard's stay.
Alcantara's contract also includes a Ballon d'Or clause, which states that Liverpool are liable to pay a bonus fee if the Spaniard wins the prestigious accolade.
#4 Anthony Martial
Anthony Martial made a move to the Premier League in the summer of 2015 for a £54 million transfer from AS Monaco. That made him the world's most expensive teenager at the time, and he remains so in Premier League history.
At the time, the Frenchman was regarded as one of the most exciting talents in world football, and he enjoyed a stellar start to his United career.
In his debut appearance for The Red Devils, Martial scored a stunning solo goal against arch-rivals Liverpool in a Premier League game. However, he has failed to kick on from there, and has now become a bit-part player in Manchester United's set-up.
Martial, though, had a far higher ceiling, which is reflected in his 2015 transfer. Manchester United agreed to pay an extra £7.2million bonus if Martial goes on to win the prestigious Ballon d'Or accolade.
The Frenchman won the Golden Boy award in 2015, so the highest individual accolade was deemed to be the next step for Martial. On current form, though, that doesn't seem likely, though.
#3 Bruno Fernandes
Bruno Fernandes is a contender for the 2021 Ballon d'Or award. He hit the ground running at Manchester United after his £56.7 million move from Sporting Lisbon last year. Following in the footsteps of Cristiano Ronaldo, who made the same journey, Fernandes has established himself as one of the best No. 10's in world football currently.
The Portuguese propelled Manchester United to a top-4 finish in his debut Premier League season, and has only gotten better since. While many have been awestruck by his immense talent, Fernandes's contract accounted for his exceptional performances.
According to a clause in the 27-year-old's contract, Manchester United agreed to pay €5 million after Fernandes notched up 20 appearances for the club. The Red Devils also shelled out another €5 million following Champions League qualification in the 2020-21 season.
Reports have also indicated that Fernandes has clauses in his contract which will get activated if he wins the prestigious Ballon d'Or accolade. The Portuguese also received a bonus when he made his 50th appearance for Manchester United.
#2 Mohamed Salah
On current form, Mohamed Salah is the best player in world football right now, without a shadow of a doubt. Just three months into the 2021-22 season, the Egyptian wizard has racked up 15 goals and six assists across competitions.
Salah is a favourite for the 2021 Ballon d'Or award. If he does go on to win the coveted award, a 'special clause' will be activated in the Egyptian's contract. According to Spanish outlet Don Balon, Salah has a 'secret clause' inserted into his Liverpool contract.
The clause says that if the Egyptian does not win the Ballon d'Or award with The Reds, he will be allowed to leave for either Barcelona or Real Madrid. As things stand, Salah is yet to pen a new contract with Liverpool, and will become a free agent at the end of the 2021-22 season.
As the special clause in his contract indicates, Salah could be on the move to Spain if he fails to reach an agreement with his current club. Real Madrid have been linked with Erling Haaland. But they could shift their focus towards Salah, who could potentially partner Kylian Mbappe at the Santiago Bernabeu.
#1 Cristiano Ronaldo
Even at 36, Cristiano Ronaldo remains one of the most lethal and feared forwards in world football. Along with Lionel Messi, Ronaldo has dominated the Ballon d'Or award in the past decade. So it comes as no surprise that his contract contains a special clause.
According to the Daily Star, Ronaldo took almost a 50% pay-cut to sign a £475,000-a-week contract at Old Trafford. That is a massive cut from his whopping £900,000-a-week salary at Juventus, but his new agreement contains a few special clauses too.
One such clause says that the five-time Ballon d" Or winner will receive a £1 million bonus in one of three situations.
The first situation is if Manchester United win the Champions League during Ronaldo's initial two-year contract (with the option of an additional year). The clause can also be activated if the Portuguese bags the Ballon d'Or accolade or the UEFA Player of the Year.
In 13 appearances since his return, Ronaldo has notched up nine goals and a solitary assist. He is United's highest goalscorer this season.
