Ballon d'Or 2021: Ranking the top 5 favourites - November 2021

#3 Jorginho (Italy/Chelsea)

Italy v England - UEFA Euro 2020: Final

Chelsea and Italy midfield metronome Jorginho is a surprise entrant in the Ballon d'Or race. He was not a player who was widely tipped to make the frame but after the kind of year he had, it would have been criminal to deny the Italian the honour.

Jorginho was Chelsea's midfield lynchpin as they won the UEFA Champions League in the 2020-21 season. He was a vital cog in Roberto Mancini's Italian side that won Euro 2020 as well. The 29-year-old's technical brilliance and tactical intelligence make him an elite holding midfielder.

While there is an argument that neither Chelsea's nor Italy's triumphs this summer could be chalked down to Jorginho's individual brilliance, his influence cannot be overlooked. He won the UEFA Men's Player of the Year after Chelsea added the UEFA Super Cup to their collection of trophies at the start of the 2021-22 season.

#2 Robert Lewandowski (Poland/Bayern Munich)

FC Bayern München v SL Benfica: Group E - UEFA Champions League

Robert Lewandowski would have won the Ballon d'Or last year if it hadn't been cancelled. He was well clear of his competition, scoring 55 goals and providing 10 assists in 47 appearances and also winning the continental treble with Bayern Munich in the 2019-20 season.

But even though Lewandowski was able to keep up his goalscoring form last term, his title haul isn't as impressive as it was a year ago. Lewandowski broke Gerd Muller's record of most goals in a single Bundesliga season by scoring 41 from just 29 appearances in the 2020-21 season.

But he only has the Bundesliga title as a major trophy and it is a title that Bayern Munich are always the favourites to win. The Polish international scored three goals in three games at Euro 2020 but his national side crashed out in the group stage.

Lewandowski has been on fire this season as well. He has 22 goals and two assists in 16 appearances across all competitions. The 33-year-old has been the epitome of individual brilliance and if he won the award this term, it would be well deserved.

#1 Lionel Messi (Argentina/Paris Saint-Germain)

Paris Saint Germain v Lille OSC - Ligue 1 Uber Eats

Lionel Messi is widely tipped to win a record seventh Ballon d'Or this term. He was Barcelona's standout performer in the 2020-21 season by a country mile. Messi has been in stellar form since the turn of the year and almost single-handedly dragged the Catalans back into last season's La Liga title race.

He scored 38 goals and provided 14 assists in 47 appearances across all competitions for Barcelona in the 2020-21 season. But his crowning achievement this year is winning the Copa America with Argentina in the summer.

Messi was named the Best Player at the tournament and was the joint-top scorer and top assist provider in the competition. The 34-year-old is yet to score after five Ligue 1 appearances in the new season at his new club Paris Saint-Germain. However, he has been in fine form in the Champions League, scoring three in three appearances.