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The race for the 2021 Ballon d'Or award is heating up. With all the major domestic leagues and European competitions like the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League coming to an end, the focus will now shift to Euro 2020 and Copa America 2021. (if the tournament goes ahead)
Regular suspects Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi feature on this list, but they are not the top favorites to win the Ballon d'Or this year. Some stupendous individual displays by various players around the world could see the duopoly of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in the Ballon d'Or award broken this year.
Ballon d'Or 2021 could be decided on fine margins
With many players having stunning individual campaigns, the Ballon d'Or award could be decided on fine margins. Performances over the next few months could decide who walks away with the prestigious individual prize.
Without further ado, let's take a look at 5 favorites to win the Ballon d'Or in 2021
#5 Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus/Portugal)
Cristiano Ronaldo might be at number 5 right now, but after a month of Euro 2020 action, he could well be much higher on the list. The Juventus superstar had another stunning individual season, but could not inspire the Old Lady to a league title or the Champions League trophy.
Winner of the Serie A top scorer award, Cristiano Ronaldo will be determined to guide Portugal to glory at Euro 2020 and break a few other records in the process. Portugal have a very strong squad and the 5-time Ballon d'Or winner will need a strong performance to claim this prestigious individual prize once again.
#4 Lionel Messi (Barcelona/Argentina)
Lionel Messi has had a stunning 2021, but the failure of Barcelona to win La Liga and make a deep run in the Champions League could cost the Argentine a shot at the Ballon d'Or award this year.
Argentina, along with Brazil, are the favorites to win Copa America 2021, but with a lot of doubt about the tournament going ahead, Lionel Messi might not get a chance to win a major international trophy.
The 6-time Ballon d'Or winner's future has been subject to intense speculation in the last few weeks and it will be interesting to see where he will be playing next season.
#3 Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain/France)
Definitely a Ballon d'Or winner in the future, Kylian Mbappe has had a good season for PSG. The French superstar was in fine form in the UEFA Champions League and almost single-handedly inspired PSG to victories over Bayern Munich and Barcelona.
Mbappe will be spearheading the impressive France squad at Euro 2020 and is one of the forwards expected to challenge for a Golden Boot in the continental competition.
To win the Ballon d'Or, Mbappe will need to have a good campaign with France and play a starring role for Les Bleus. The 22-year-old superstar is one of the brightest young talents in the game and his explosive speed and clinical finishing could propel him towards the top of the footballing world.
#2 N'golo Kante (Chelsea/France)
N'Golo Kante has catapulted himself into the Ballon d'Or reckoning with some stunning performances for Chelsea in the UEFA Champions League. The French midfielder has had a strong finish to the 2020-21 season and is gathering momentum in the Ballon d'Or race.
With many players and pundits like Paul Pogba and Pat Nevin backing the diminutive French midfielder for the Ballon d'Or, Kante could further his case with a strong showing for France at Euro 2020.
Arguably the greatest ball winner in the game at the moment, Kante's stamina and tenacity combined with his skill on the ball has made him one of the most complete midfielders in world football at the moment.
If he continues performing at this very high level, the Chelsea man could end up claiming the prestigious Ballon d'Or award at the end of this year.
#1 Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich/Poland)
The Bayern Munich superstar might be the favorite to win the Ballon d'Or this month, but he might find himself slipping down the rankings next month. Unfortunately, unlike the other players on this list, Robert Lewandowski's Poland is not expected to make a major impact at Euro 2020.
The most consistent goalscorer in the last 2 seasons, Lewandowski was robbed of a Ballon d'Or in 2020 when the award ceremony was canceled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
This season, Lewandowski has been in stunning form and has scored an almost unbelievable 41 goals in just 29 Bundesliga games breaking Gerd Muller's longstanding record in the process. Individually, Lewandowski has been on another level and is currently the favorite to win the Ballon d'Or in 2021.
Also read: 5 reasons why N'Golo Kante could win the Ballon d'Or this year
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