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.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.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.Ballon d'Or #ballondor@francefootballHere is the 2021 #ballondor top 5!2:29 AM · Nov 30, 2021169322764Here is the 2021 #ballondor top 5! https://t.co/Tog5a1c3bICristiano Ronaldo endured a disappointing 2020-21 campaignThe 2020-21 season and the ongoing calendar year have been a mixed bag for Cristiano Ronaldo.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.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.B/R Football@brfootballSixth-place Ronaldo finishes outside the top five in the Ballon d’Or for the first time since 20102:09 AM · Nov 30, 2021239622295Sixth-place Ronaldo finishes outside the top five in the Ballon d’Or for the first time since 2010 https://t.co/l64i6AChQJDespite 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.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.The Spurs Web ⚪️@thespursweb🗳 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, 202197930🗳 Harry Kane. 23rd in Ballon d'Or rankings. 🤔 Should he be higher after being the top goalscorer and assister last season in the PL? https://t.co/itexZbumIfTottenham 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.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.Chelsea FC@ChelseaFCThe numbers speak for themselves. 💪#LukWhosBack11:59 AM · Aug 12, 2021544987224The numbers speak for themselves. 💪#LukWhosBack https://t.co/ARkBnRmSpbLukaku 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.