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2021 has been a year filled with some stunning performances from top players around the world. 2 major international tournaments - the Copa America and the UEFA Euro Championship - were concluded successfully.
Apart from that, there was also plenty of action in the top club competitions in the world like the UEFA Champions League and the top 5 leagues in Europe. The likes of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo were once again among the top players, with the Argentine even claiming his 7th Ballon d'Or this year.
From so many great players, it is no easy task to choose just 10. Without further ado, let us rank the:
10 best football players in the world in 2021
#10 Jorginho (Chelsea/Italy)
Jorginho has had a stunning 2021 where he answered all his critics in style. Playing an integral role in both Chelsea's UEFA Champions League triumph and Italy's stunning Euro 2020 victory, Jorginho is one of the game's best deep lying playmakers in football at the moment.
The Italian midfielder finished at #3 in the Ballon d'Or rankings this year with his impressive trophy haul even propelling him to UEFA Men's player of the year award.
A brilliant passer of the ball, Jorginho also scored some crucial penalties for his club and country this year. One of the first names on the Chelsea team sheet, Tuchel will be hoping the stylish midfielder continues his good form in 2022.
#9 N'Golo Kante (Chelsea/France)
One of the best midfielders of this generation, Kante, along with his club team-mate Jorginho, ran the show for Chelsea in their historic UEFA Champions League triumph this year.
A brilliant defensive midfielder capable of starting attacks as well, Kante showed his class in the UEFA Champions League semi-finals and final putting in man-of-the-match performances. His performance in the UCL final was particularly noteworthy as the the diminutive Frenchman completely neutralized Pep Guardiola's midfield.
In the second half of the year, Kante has struggled for fitness with injuries and Covid-19. Chelsea will need him back at his best if they are to challenge for trophies once again in 2022.
#8 Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City/Belgium)
Manchester City were utterly dominant in the Premier League last season and one of the key reasons for their dominance was the brilliance of Kevin De Bruyne.
The Belgian superstar has struggled with injuries throughout the year, but whenever he has played, his impact on the pitch has been nothing short of magical.
Blessed with brilliant passing skills, technical ability and vision, De Bruyne is not only capable of playing some defense splitting passes, he is also capable of getting on the scoresheet himself with some well taken goals.
A complete midfielder, the Manchester City man could well be higher on this list next year if he maintains his fitness.
#7 Erling Haaland (Borussia Dortmund/Norway)
It is scary to think that Erling Haaland is still only 21. One of the best finishers in world football, Haaland's goalscoring record is absolutely extraordinary for Borussia Dortmund.
Having signed for the Bundesliga giants in the 2019/20 season, Haaland has scored an incredible 76 goals in his 74 appearances so far and is showing no signs of slowing down.
The Norwegian goalscoring sensation has already scored 13 goals in 11 Bundesliga appearances this season. Seen as the game's next big global superstar, Haaland's future has been subject to intense speculation in the last few months.
It will be interesting to see how 2022 pans out for the young phenomenon.
#6 Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus/Manchester United/Portugal)
Ever since Ralf Rangnick took over at Manchester United, there has been a lot of debate about Cristiano Ronaldo's role at the club. However, there is no denying the fact that the Portuguese superstar guarantees goals.
The 5-time Ballon d'Or winner might be showing some slight signs of decline, but he still finished as Juventus' top scorer in the 2020/21 season, won the Euro 2020 golden boot and is currently the top scorer for Manchester United this season.
Still decisive, Ronaldo scored plenty of crucial goals this year and almost singlehandedly dragged Manchester United into the knockout stages of this season's UEFA Champions League.
Age is just a number for Cristiano Ronaldo and one of the greatest footballers of all time will be determined to prove his critics wrong and have a great calendar year in 2022.
#5 Kylian Mbappe (PSG/France)
23-year-old Kylian Mbappe is already one of the best players in the world and it only seems like a matter of time before he gets his hand on the Ballon d'Or award. Known for his electric pace and brilliant finishing skills, Mbappe did not have the best of times at Euro 2020.
However, the PSG superstar bounced back in style, inspiring France to the UEFA Nations League title with some stunning displays. Mbappe has undoubtedly been PSG's best player so far this season. The pacy Frenchman has 9 goals and 8 assists in 17 Ligue 1 appearances and has a further 4 goals and 4 assists in 6 UCL appearances.
Encouragingly, Mbappe seems to have formed a good relationship with Lionel Messi and it will be interesting to see how they combine together when PSG face off against Real Madrid in the UCL next year.
#4 Mohamed Salah (Liverpool/Egypt)
One of the early favorites for the 2022 Ballon d'Or, Mohamed Salah has been in fine form for Liverpool throughout 2021. One of the most consistent and brilliant players in the world, Salah is capable of scoring all types of goals and is arguably the most complete forward in the Premier League at the moment.
Blessed with pace and a knack for always being in the right place at the right time, Salah's dribbling and playmaking skills have also greatly improved this year. Not only is the 'Egytian King' a supreme goalscorer, he is also great at setting up goals and already has 9 assists in the Premier League this season.
With AFCON coming up, Salah will be determined to win some major honors with both club and country in 2022.
#3 Lionel Messi (Barcelona/PSG/Argentina)
The winner of the Ballon d'Or award in 2021, Lionel Messi, comes in at #3 on our list. Messi's defining moment this year was finally winning an international trophy with Argentina. The left-footed magician inspired Argentina with some stunning performances in the Copa America as they overcame Brazil in the final.
If this list was made only after August, Messi would probably have been in the number 1 position. However, since his move to PSG, the Argentine has not been at his very best and is slowly settling down in Paris.
Messi's achievements this year are still extraordinary. The 7-time Ballon d'Or winner finished as Barcelona's highest goalscorer of the year, won the best player award at Copa America and is PSG's top scorer in the UEFA Champions League.
Messi is always at his best in the latter stages of the season and PSG will be counting on him to deliver an elusive UCL title this season.
#2 Karim Benzema (Real Madrid/France)
Karim Benzema narrowly edges out Lionel Messi to the #2 position. The Real Madrid superstar has been in stunning form this year. The undisputed star player for Los Blancos, Benzema's stats this season have been extraordinary.
In 18 La Liga appearances this season, the 34-year-old Frenchman has 15 goals and 7 assists and has put Real Madrid well on their way to another league title. Ever since Cristiano Ronaldo's departure, the skillful forward has taken his game to the next level and is undoubtedly one of the greatest strikers of this generation.
Benzema also made his much awaited return to the French national team this year. Although Euro 2020 did not go according to plan, Benzema showed his class in the UEFA Nations League, even scoring a crucial goal in the final.
A forward at the peak of his game, Benzema will be hoping to continue his great form in 2022.
#1 Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich/Poland)
Arguably the best player over the last 2 years, Robert Lewandowski has had a stunning 2021. A supreme goalscorer who is just deadly in front of goal, Lewandowski will feel slightly aggrieved that he did not win the Ballon d'Or award this year.
In a historic 2020/21 campaign, the Polish superstar broke Gerd Muller's long-standing record of 40 goals in a single Bundesliga season. Although Bayern Munich did not win the UEFA Champions League last season, Lewandowski's importance to the team can be seen from the fact that he was missing through injury in their loss against PSG.
Lewandowski's contribution to the Polish national team this year should also not be swept under the rug. The 33-year-old has scored 8 goals in 8 appearances in the FIFA World Cup qualifiers and will be hoping to book a spot at Qatar 2022 when Poland take the field in their World Cup playoff campaign next year.
Undoubtedly the best striker in world football at the moment, Robert Lewandowski is crowned Sportskeeda's best football player for the year 2021.
