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The Ballon d'Or has been dominated by Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in the past decade. The pair have won 11 of the last 12 editions of the most prestigious individual prize in football. Luke Modric, who won it in 2018, is the only player other than Messi and Ronaldo to win the award since 2008.
The race for the 2021 Ballon d'Or largely features veterans of the game
Unlike recent years, it is hard to predict who is going to win the Ballon d'Or this year. Lionel Messi is widely tipped to win a record seventh Ballon d'Or but Robert Lewandowski, Jorginho and Karim Benzema are all worthy contenders. As you can see, the race is dominated by veterans of the game.
However, climb a bit further down and we can see the future prospects of the 'beautiful game'. 2030 is a long way down the road but from all the evidence we've gathered so far, let's try and predict who'll be favourites in the race for the Ballon d'Or then.
#5 Vinicius Jr.
21-year-old Vinicius Jr. has been absolutely sensational for Real Madrid this term. The Brazilian international showed plenty of promise as a teenager but he was still very rough around the edges in his first three years at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Vinicius Jr. has truly announced his arrival this season. His finishing has improved drastically. The youngster's electric pace combined with his quick feet and trickery make him as elusive an attacker as any. In short, Vinicius is a difficult player to defend against.
He could go onto emulate Cristiano Ronaldo's exploits at the club. Of course, Ronaldo's achievements are otherworldly but Vinicius should be audacious and ambitious as he has that level of natural ability.
He is yet to establish himself in the national setup but that should only be a matter of time now. Vinicius is definitely one of our picks to be a favourite in a Ballon d'Or race nine years down the line.
#4 Phil Foden
Credit goes to Pep Guardiola for developing some of the talented teenagers at Manchester City into technically proficient footballers. Phil Foden is a perfect example of this. He was immensely talented as a kid but now Foden looks set to become the main man at Manchester City in the years to come.
He is a playmaker with an astonishing passing range and dribbling ability. At 21 years of age, Foden has already shown a lot of maturity on the football pitch. His tactical intelligence and decision-making are already elite. Foden has been named on the Ballon d'Or 30-man shortlist this year.
The Englishman is also a hard worker and always puts in a shift for his side. He can play anywhere in midfield and in attack as well. Foden is already one of the most exciting talents in the Premier League and there is no doubt that he will be a part of the Ballon d'Or conversation in the years to come.
#3 Pedri
It's easy to mistake Pedri for a La Masia graduate. He plays in the centre of the park for Barcelona and his style of play is similar to the club's greatest midfielders like Xavi and Andres Iniesta. But Pedri was signed from Las Palmas in the summer of 2020.
Coming into the senior Barcelona side as an 18-year-old, Pedri did not take much time to become a mainstay in the starting lineup. His deft touches, movement, intelligence and eye for a pass soon made him undroppable. Pedri was also one of Spain's best players in their run to the semi-finals of Euro 2020 this summer.
He was named the Best Young Player of the Tournament. Like Foden, Pedri has also been named on the 30-man shortlist for this year's Ballon d'Or. It's insane that he is only going to turn 19 in the last week of November. He is already an elite midfielder and will only get better with the years.
#2 Kylian Mbappe
Kylian Mbappe has already had an illustrious career for both club and country and he is still just 22-years-old. Widely viewed as the heir apparent to the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, Mbappe has been absolutely world-class for at least four years now.
The Frenchman's blistering pace and trickery make him a nightmare to go up against for defenders. Once he gets past a defender and turns on the afterburners, there is no stopping him. Mbappe is also one of the most prolific goalscorers on the planet.
He scored 42 goals and provided 11 assists in 47 appearances for PSG in the 2020-21 season. A lack of major trophies has impeded him from being a favourite in this year's Ballon d'Or race. However, he is sure to dominate it in the years to come. Mbappe is widely tipped to go onto win multiple Ballon d'Or awards in his career.
#1 Erling Haaland
Like Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland's talent belies his age. The Norwegian striker just turned 21 in July but is already the most sought-after striker in the world. Haaland's athleticism and incredible finishing ability has earned him the nickname 'The Terminator'.
He is an electric presence on the pitch and his movement is elite. Haaland is one of the best in the business when it comes to off-the-ball work in and around the final third. The Borussia Dortmund striker also seems unfazed by pressure and is extremely good at getting the better of the goalkeeper in one-on-one situations.
He can generate a great amount of power with his left-foot but he is also adept at serving up fizzing grounded finishes. In the 2020-21 season, Haaland scored 41 goals and provided 12 assists in 41 appearances across all competitions for Borussia Dortmund.
He is another player who is tipped to win multiple Ballon d'Or awards in the future. Next summer, there is going to be a bidding war among most of Europe's top clubs for the services of Erling Haaland.
