5 legendary footballers and their Ballon d’Or picks

France Football announced a 30-man shortlist for the 2021 Ballon d’Or award on Friday, October 8. The result of the annual award will be announced on November 29, 2021.

With the release of the shortlist, footballers, current and former, and pundits have all made their picks. While the usual suspects, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have been named by some, there are quite a few other players who have found mentions as well.

As both Copa America and Euros were held this year, players' performances in the two international tournaments will play a big role during the Ballon d’Or voting process.

Here are the 30 players who have been nominated for the 2021 Ballon d’Or award

Several legendary footballers and prominent footballing personalities have named their favorites for this year's Ballon d’Or award. They are as follows:

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#5 Finidi George - Cristiano Ronaldo

Manchester United v Everton - Premier League

Ajax legend and winner of the 1995 UEFA Champions League, Finidi George has named Cristiano Ronaldo as his pick for the 2021 Ballon d’Or award. Ronaldo didn't have the greatest of seasons trophy-wise, but he still managed to score 36 goals for Juventus in all competitions last term.

Portugal crashed out of Euro 2020 in the round-of-16 but Ronaldo finished as the top-scorer, netting five goals in the tournament. Speaking about the award (via Goal), George extended his vote of confidence to Ronaldo:

“Although Portugal crashed out early at Euro 2020, it is still too early to call because you must put the performance of other players into consideration.

“Everything is possible, he could still end up winning it. And if he doesn’t win it, that’s no problem. Apart from him, players like [Lionel] Messi and [Robert] Lewandowski are doing very well so, when it comes to that time, we will know who the strongest contender is to win. Mind you, it’s all about voting.”

Ronaldo returned to Manchester United in the summer transfer window, and has already scored five goals in six appearances for the club.

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#4 Gary Lineker - Lionel Messi

Argentina v Uruguay - FIFA World Cup 2022 Qatar Qualifier

England's third-highest goal-scorer of all time and 1986 Ballon d’Or runner-up, Gary Lineker, has picked Lionel Messi as his favorite.

Lineker has long been a vocal Messi admirer and thus it doesn't come as a surprise that he has decided to name the Argentine as his pick for the Ballon d’Or. Speaking to Marca in an interview, the former Barcelona striker commented:

"It will be difficult to overcome Messi. He had a great first part of the season and then he won the Copa América with Argentina."

Messi also won the Copa America with Argentina this year, which has further strengthened the new Paris Saint-Germain forward's claim for the 2021 Ballon d’Or. Should he win the prestigious award, it will be a record-extending seventh time he gets his hands on the prize.

#3 Carlo Ancelotti - Karim Benzema

RCD Espanyol vs Real Madrid CF - La Liga Santander

Real Madrid manager and former AC Milan midfielder Carlo Ancelotti has picked Karim Benzema as his favorite for this year's Ballon d’Or award. The Italian believes Benzema is getting better with age, and it is now his 'time to win it'.

“For what he’s doing and for what he has done, he has to be in the list of possible winners. Saying that, Karim’s got time to win it. I somehow doubt this is his final season - he’s like a fine wine; the older he gets the better he is,” Ancelotti said in a pre-match conference.

The Real Madrid striker has led from the front since Cristiano Ronaldo's departure from the club, and has also regained his spot in the France national team.

This season, the 33-year-old has scored 10 goals in as many matches for Los Blancos across competitions. Benzema netted 30 goals for the club across competitions last season.

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#2 Didier Deschamps - Karim Benzema

Portugal vs France - UEFA Euro 2020: Group F

France's 1998 World Cup-winning captain and current coach of the national team, Didier Deschamps, has also picked Karim Benzema for the 2021 Ballon d’Or award.

"Yes, clearly," Deschamps said during a press conference when asked if Benzema has any chance of winning the Ballon d’Or.

Benzema was on the scoresheet four times at Euro 2020 but couldn't lead France to the title. But he did help France to the 2021 UEFA Nations League title. He scored both in the semifinals and final, against Belgium and Spain respectively.

Though he isn't one of the clear favorites to win the Ballon d’Or, many have picked him as their favorite for the annual award. This is mainly due to his performances at both the club and international level recently. However, the likes of Lionel Messi, Jorginho and Robert Lewandowski remain the front-runners for the Ballon d’Or.

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#1 Rivaldo - Mohamed Salah

FC Porto vs Liverpool FC: Group B - UEFA Champions League

Rivaldo is a Ballon d’Or winner, receiving the prestigious award back in 1999. The legendary Brazilian player has picked Liverpool's Mohamed Salah for the 2021 Ballon d’Or award.

"Liverpool's Egyptian forward is producing a fantastic start of season with impressive stats and a sensational goal against Manchester City last weekend. He's one of the best players in the world right now because his astonishing numbers in terms of goals and assists are obtained in the Premier League and Champions League, two of the most difficult competitions in the planet," Rivaldo told Betfair.

The Egyptian scored 31 goals for Liverpool in all competitions last season, and has started the 2021-22 campaign in fine fashion too. Salah has already scored nine goals across competitions for the Reds this season.

Salah's current form has led some to believe he is probably the world's best player, ahead of the likes of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Speaking realistically, Salah is clearly not among the favorites to win the Ballon d’Or this year. However, if he does continue his scintillating form throughout the ongoing season, he could become a leading candidate for the Ballon d’Or honor in 2022.