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The Ballon d'Or is the most coveted individual prize in football and along with the usual suspects, we have a few surprise entrants in the race this time.
The prestigious Ballon d'Or is awarded to the best exponents of the game by France Football. The award will be decided by a panel of journalists, national team captains and coaches.
In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, the 2020 edition of the Ballon d'Or was cancelled. The pandemic disrupted the 2019-20 season. But the 2020-21 season has been going on without any interruptions so far and the Ballon d'Or is set to return.
Ballon d'Or race returns in 2021 after a year's absence
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have enjoyed a duopoly over the Ballon d'Or. Luka Modric broke it recently but Lionel Messi won it back again and currently has six Ballon d'Or's to his name.
Both Messi and Ronaldo remain in the race but they're not sure shot favorites to win it this year. Without further ado, let's take a look at the five favorites to win the Ballon d'Or this term.
#5 Luis Suarez
The Barcelona board has made far too many erratic decisions in the recent past. Showing Luis Suarez the exit door in the summer whilst keeping him out of the loop on the discussions was simply not the right thing to do.
Suarez was heartbroken but it eventually worked out well for the Uruguayan. He joined Diego Simeone's Atletico Madrid and has been tearing it up for the Rojiblancos. While Barcelona have struggled for goals in the absence of an out-and-out striker, Suarez has shown them exactly what they've been missing.
Atletico Madrid are six points clear at the top of La Liga with two games in hand and it is, in no short part, thanks to Luis Suarez's exploits. The 34-year-old has been in sublime form this season and has scored 16 goals and provided two assists from across 17 appearances in La Liga this term.
If he keeps this up, he will be among the top scorers in Europe with a Goal +Assist average of over one in a game.
#4 Kylian Mbappe
Ever since Kylian Mbappe emerged on the scene as a teenager, he has been exceptional. We keep holding him to high standards and the youngster never fails to rise above them. The 22-year-old has been in unreal form yet again and has kicked on with his trend of clocking incredible numbers.
Mbappe has scored 16 goals and provided six assists from across 20 appearances in Ligue 1 this term. Mbappe has two goals and three assists from five appearances in the UEFA Champions League as well.
His blistering pace and silky dribbling skills make him one of the most intimidating attackers in the world and once he goes past defenders, there is no stopping him. If Mbappe can keep this up, he could definitely make it to the podium and maybe even go on to win the most coveted individual prize in football.
#3 Lionel Messi
It took a while for Lionel Messi to get going this season but now that he has kicked into gear, it looks like there is no stopping him. The Argentine has been the difference-maker for Barcelona yet again and has been making a good case for himself in the Ballon d'Or race.
Messi has scored 17 goals and provided four assists across all competitions this season. The 33-year-old's contributions go well beyond his numbers and he is the main orchestrator in the final third for the Cules.
Lionel Messi is expected to leave Barcelona at the end of the season. Barcelona are keen on extending his contract but it looks like the legend of the game has decided to move on. If he does, then Barcelona have a real problem on their hands because there is just no replacing that kind of quality.
#2 Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo is 36-years-old now but the Portuguese international remains a top contender for the Ballon d'Or. He has been Juventus' star man this season and there is a drop in their overall quality whenever he is rested or absent.
Cristiano Ronaldo has won the Ballon d'Or five times and given his competitive nature, he will be desperate to match Lionel Messi's haul of six Ballon d'Ors. He has been prolific yet again and his consistency is unmatched.
Ronaldo has scored 23 goals for Juventus across all competitions for Juventus this term. He has four assists as well and is well and truly one of the frontrunners to win the Ballon d'Or this year.
#1 Robert Lewandowski
Robert Lewandowski has every right to feel like he's been robbed off the Ballon d'Or last year. The Bayern Munich star was a cut above the rest in the 2019-20 season and he has kept it up this term. He won the continental treble with the Bavarians last season and looks like he's got trouble on his mind yet again.
Lewandowski has clocked some unreal numbers yet again. The 32-year-old already has 24 goals and six assists to his name in the Bundesliga from 19 appearances so far this season. No player in Europe has been able to come close.
Robert Lewandowski has been performing at the highest level for years now and he definitely deserves to be honored with the biggest prize in football. If he keeps doing what he does, there will be no denying Lewandowski the Ballon d'Or this time around.
