Cristiano Ronaldo chose to skip the 2021 Ballon d'Or ceremony.

2021 Ballon d'Or: 5 players who could have finished above Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo's absence from the 2021 Ballon d'Or gala in Paris was conspicuous. On the night his great rival Lionel Messi was awarded a seventh Ballon d'Or title, Ronaldo chose to skip the event. That's notable, as Manchester United are slated to play Arsenal only on Thursday.

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Not only was the superstar forward absent from the gala, but, for a change, his name wasn't among the favourites for the Ballon d'Or award. In fact, in the days leading up to the gala, fans and analysts were rather uncertain about the position Ronaldo would secure in this year's award.

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Cristiano Ronaldo eventually finished sixth in the 2021 Ballon d'Or rankings. It is his joint-lowest rank in 11 years, as well as the first time he finished outside the top five in more than a decade.

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Cristiano Ronaldo endured a disappointing 2020-21 campaign

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The 2020-21 season and the ongoing calendar year have been a mixed bag for Cristiano Ronaldo.

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On an individual level, the Portuguese forward continued to score goals and win accolades. He netted 36 strikes, including 29 league goals, and provided five assists for Juventus. He won the Paolo Rossi Award for top scorer in Serie A, with 29 of those goals coming in the league. Ronaldo won the Golden Boot at Euro 2020, finishing as the joint-highest scorer, level with Patrik Schick on five goals.

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On a team level, though, it was Ronaldo's most disappointing season in a very long time. Juventus finished fourth in Serie A, and barely qualified for the Champions League. Last season, they were dumped out of the Champions League by Porto in the Round of 16, suffering a humiliating early exit in the competition.

Sixth-place Ronaldo finishes outside the top five in the Ballon d’Or for the first time since 2010
2:09 AM · Nov 30, 2021
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Despite being among the favourites, Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal underwhelmed at Euro 2020, limping out in the Round of 16 to Belgium.

They then failed to secure direct qualification for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Portugal are now at genuine risk of missing the competition. The treacherous playoffs and a formidable Italian team lying in wait for Ronaldo and co.

The 2021 Coppa Italia was Ronaldo's only piece of silverware this year. Therefore, many were surprised to see him finish in the top ten in this year's Ballon d'Or vote. On that note, here's a look at five players who were unlucky to finish below the Portuguese superstar in this year's Ballon d'Or race:


#5 Harry Kane (2021 Ballon d'Or rank - 23)

Harry Kane finished outside the top 20 in the 2021 Ballon d'Or voting.
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Yes, Harry Kane has endured an absolutely woeful start to the new season. But that shouldn't gloss over the fact that he carried Tottenham Hotspur in the last campaign. Finishing outside the top 20 is a complete farce for a player who not only won the Premier League Golden Boot, but also clinched the Playmaker of the Season title.

🗳 Harry Kane. 23rd in Ballon d'Or rankings.

🤔 Should he be higher after being the top goalscorer and assister last season in the PL?
9:52 AM · Nov 29, 2021
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Tottenham were in turmoil last season, sacking manager Jose Mourinho midway through the campaign. The fact that they finished in the top half of the table speaks volumes about Harry Kane's abilities. With an incredible tally of 33 goals and 17 assists for Spurs last season, Kane was undeniably the most complete attacking force in English football.

He followed that up with a starring role for England at Euro 2020, leading them to the final by scoring four goals (second-highest in the tournament with Lukaku). Kane was also captain of the side as England reached their first major final in 55 years. The striker was more than deserving of a much higher finish than 23rd in the 2021 Ballon d'Or.


#4 Romelu Lukaku (2021 Ballon d'Or rank - 12)

Romelu Lukaku finished 12th in the 2021 Ballon d'Or rankings.
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Romelu Lukaku finished behind Erling Haaland and Cristiano Ronaldo in the 2021 Ballon d'Or rankings. The Chelsea forward will probably be disappointed as he arguably enjoyed a better season than both of them.

The Belgian superstar finished 12th after a dominant 2020-21 campaign that saw him lead Inter Milan to Scudetto glory. More importantly, Lukaku not only won the league, but was also named Serie A's Most Valuable Player of the Year ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo.

The powerful striker finished second in the Serie A scoring charts (24), five behind the Portuguese star's tally of 29. With 30 goals and 13 assists for Inter Milan in 2020-21, though, Lukaku had more goal involvements than the former Juventus forward.

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Lukaku and Belgium also enjoyed a decent Euro 2020 campaign, as they knocked out Ronaldo's Portugal in the Round of 16 after a narrow 1-0 victory.

However, Roberto Martinez's men were beaten 2-1 by eventual winners Italy in the quarter-final. Romelu Lukaku finished with four goals in the tournament, level with Harry Kane and just one behind top scorers Cristiano Ronaldo and Patrik Schick.

His performances for Inter and Belgium mean Lukaku certainly had a strong argument for a higher Ballon d'Or finish than 12th place.

#3 Gianluigi Donnarumma (2021 Ballon d'Or rank - 10)

Gianluigi Donnarumma won the Yashin trophy at the 2021 Ballon d'Or ceremony.
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The Ballon d'Or has been increasingly criticised for ignoring defenders and goalkeepers. Italy and PSG star Gianluigi Donnarumma's tenth-place finish in the 2021 Ballon d'Or rankings suggests that isn't going to change any time soon.

The keeper enjoyed a tremendous 2020-21 campaign. He helped AC Milan to a second-place finish ahead of Juventus, keeping 14 clean sheets in 37 league games. Donnarumma was named Serie A's Goalkeeper of the Year at the end of the season.

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He was Italy's hero during their historic Euro 2020 triumph. Donnarumma helped the team win consecutive penalty shootouts, first against Spain in the semi-final and then against England in the final. He was named the Player of the Tournament for his outstanding displays, as Italy finished with the second-best defensive record in the tournament.

Donnarumma was also terrific for Italy in 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifying, as the Azzurri conceded just twice in eight games. Despite failing to secure direct qualification, Italy boasted the joint-best defensive record among all European nations.

Gianluigi Donnarumma was awarded the 2021 Yashin trophy for best goalkeeper in the world at the Ballon d'Or gala on Monday. He, however, will feel that he deserved more.


#2 Kylian Mbappe (2021 Ballon d'Or rank - 9)

Kylian Mbappe during the 2021 Ballon d'Or gala
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Kylian Mbappe didn't look too impressed after finishing ninth in the 2021 Ballon d'Or rankings. The 22-year-old has been open about his desire to win the prestigious award. He looks set to leave PSG at the end of the season in his quest to finally get his hands on it.

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Mbappe, who grew up idolising Cristiano Ronaldo, enjoyed a stunning 2020-21 campaign for PSG. He scored 42 goals and provided 13 assists in 49 games. He has started his 2021-22 campaign in the same lethal form. Mbappe has been the most impressive of the Parisians' superstar trio of himself, Neymar and Lionel Messi. The Frenchman already has nine goals and 12 assists in 19 games across competitions this season.

Despite being stunned by Lille, who snatched the Ligue 1 title from PSG, Mbappe and co still won the Coupe de France and reached the Champions League semi-finals. The real disappointment, though, was Euro 2020. Mbappe had an awful tournament. He failed to score before missing the penalty in the shootout that confirmed France's exit in the Round of 16 against Switzerland.

Les Bleus were the favourites to win the tournament after their 2018 FIFA World Cup triumph. However, they have bounced back from their dismal Euro 2020 campaign by breezing through their 2022 World Cup qualifying group. France also won the Nations League, with Mbappe scoring the winner in the final against Spain. He also netted in the semi-final against Belgium.

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Mbappe has age on his side. With a blockbuster move to Real Madrid potentially on the cards, he continues to follow in Cristiano Ronaldo's footsteps.


#1 Mohamed Salah (2021 Ballon d'Or rank - 7)

Mohamed Salah was expected to finish in the top 5 of the 2021 Ballon d'Or.
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Liverpool's Egyptian superstar Mohamed Salah finished seventh in the 2021 Ballon d'Or rankings. His final rank was unexpected, as the winger was touted to finish in the top five.

It appears France Football has not placed too much importance on the ongoing season. That's because Salah has arguably been the best player in the world this campaign.

COMPARED: Mohamed Salah vs. Cristiano Ronaldo in league and European club competition in 2021:

Games: 44-41
Goals: 29-27
Assists: 10-5
Shots on target: 70-74
Chances created: 71-43
Take-ons completed: 60-57
Touches in opp. box: 388-229

7th and 6th. #BallondOr
3:43 AM · Nov 30, 2021
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Despite Liverpool's underwhelming 2020-21 campaign, Salah continued to dazzle. He helped Jurgen Klopp's men finish in the top four, thereby qualifying for the UEFA Champions League. He finished with 31 goals and six assists for the Merseyside club across competitions.

The Egyptian has, however, taken it to another level this season, scoring 17 times and assisting seven goals in just 18 games already. If Salah can keep up this form, a top-five finish in next year's Ballon d'Or is inevitable.

He will also be in action at the African Cup of Nations early next year. If Salah manages to lead an unfancied Egyptian team to a surprise win, he might even be the frontrunner for the 2022 Ballon d'Or award.

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Edited by
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