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The Ballon d'Or is inarguably the greatest individual prize a footballer can hope to receive. It is awarded by French News magazine France Football to honour the best performing footballer in the world.
The Ballon d'Or is chosen on the basis of a voting system
The Ballon d'Or is decided on the basis of a combination of votes from journalists, national team captains and coaches. The award was cancelled in 2020 in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic but is now all set to return this year.
We've had more than a year of nearly non-stop footballing action following the Covid-19 break. So much has happened in such a short span. Football fans are used to seeing Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi dominating the Ballon d'Or race over the past decade and a half.
But the way things have panned out over the past year or so, there is no predicting who is going to win the Ballon d'Or this time around.
Without further ado, let's take a look at the Ballon d'Or Power Rankings for the month of August 2021.
#10 Kylian Mbappe - France/Paris Saint-Germain
Kylian Mbappe registered some incredible numbers in the 2020-21 season. The Frenchman scored 42 goals and provided 11 assists in 47 appearances across all competitions for Paris Saint-Germain last term. He won the Ligue 1 Golden Boot for the third consecutive year as well, scoring 27 goals in 31 appearances in the league.
However, a string of colourless displays at Euro 2020 has seen his chances of winning the Ballon d'Or grow even slimmer. He mustered just a single assist in four appearances at Euro 2020 as France crashed out in the Round of 16.
Mbappe could yet boost his Ballon d'Or chances if France can go onto win the UEFA Nations League. But for now, he is on the periphery.
#9 Kevin De Bruyne - Belgium/Manchester City
Kevin De Bruyne is one of the best midfielders of the modern era. The Belgian international has been phenomenal for Pep Guardiola's side and has been Manchester City's best player for several seasons now.
He played a starring role last season as City lifted the Premier League and Carabao Cup. De Bruyne won the 2021 PFA Player of the Year Award for his exploits in the 2020-21 season.
De Bruyne racked up 18 assists in addition to scoring 10 goals in 40 appearances across all competitions for Manchester City in the 2020-21 season. He was also one of Belgium's best players at Euro 2020, scoring a goal and providing two assists in four appearances.
De Bruyne would have been one of the top contenders for the Ballon d'Or if Manchester City had won the Champions League final against Chelsea. But it was not to be.
#8 Harry Kane - England/Tottenham Hotspur
England striker Harry Kane has become the talk of the town after being heavily linked with an exit from Tottenham Hotspur this summer. But Kane has now come out and confirmed that he will stay at the club.
Kane was phenomenal for Spurs in the 2020-21 season, winning the Premier League Golden Boot and the Playmaker award. He scored a total of 33 goals and provided 17 assists across all competitions last season.
He scored four goals for England as the Three Lions made it to the final of Euro 2020 as well. But a lack of trophies means Kane is unlikely to even make the Ballon d'Or podium.
#7 Romelu Lukaku - Belgium/Chelsea
Romelu Lukaku secured a big-money switch from Inter Milan to Chelsea this summer. The Belgian international was sensational for Inter Milan in their triumphant 2020-21 Serie A season. He scored 30 goals and provided 10 assists in 44 appearances across all competitions.
Lukaku had a good outing at Euro 2020 as well, scoring four goals in Belgium's run to the quarter-finals of the continental competition. Lukaku could yet boost his chances in the Ballon d'Or race if he can inspire Belgium to win the UEFA Nations League title.
Belgium will go up against France in the semi-finals of the tournament and if they can go all the way, then Lukaku will have a formidable trophy haul. He kicked off the new Premier League campaign with a goal in his first game back with Chelsea against Arsen.
#6 Erling Haaland - Norway/Borussia Dortmund
Erling Haaland is already one of the best strikers in the world at the age of 21. He scored a whopping 41 goals and provided 12 assists in 41 appearances across all competitions for Borussia Dortmund in the 2020-21 season.
Haaland has kicked off the 2021-22 season on a brilliant note. He has already scored five goals and provided three assists in four appearances across various competitions already.
There will undoubtedly be a bidding war for Haaland next summer as he is already the most sought-after striker in the world. Haaland will need trophies to get closer to his Ballon d'Or dream and will need to move on from Dortmund in order to accomplish that.
#5 Cristiano Ronaldo - Portugal/Juventus
Cristiano Ronaldo won the Golden Boot at Euro 2020, scoring five goals and providing an assist in four matches for Portugal. He had a good 2020-21 season at an individual level with Juventus, scoring 36 goals and providing four assists in 44 appearances across all competitions.
He also won the Serie A Golden Boot in the 2020-21 season, scoring 29 goals in 33 appearances. The Portuguese international continues to be one of the most prolific goalscorers on the planet even at the age of 36.
However, he won just the Coppa Italia last season and that won't be enough to earn him a place on the Ballon d'Or podium.
#4 N'Golo Kante - France/Chelsea
N'Golo Kante was the standout performer for Chelsea in their UEFA Champions League triumph last season. The midfielder gave it his all in the closing stages of the competition for his club. He earned four back-to-back man-of-the-match awards starting from the second leg of the quarter-finals all the way to the final of Europe's elite competition.
However, France's shock exit in the Round of 16 of Euro 2020 ruined Kante's chances of winning the Ballon d'Or. A triumphant run in the UEFA Nations League could yet give him a boost.
The 30-year-old is widely renowned for his defensive ability and work rate. He is technically proficient as well and contributes greatly to Chelsea's build-up play with his slick passing and movement.
#3 Robert Lewandowski - Poland/Bayern Munich
Robert Lewandowski is the most prolific striker in the world right now. He was robbed off the Ballon d'Or as the award was canceled in 2020 in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. Lewandowski won the continental treble with Bayern Munich in the 2019-20 season and was their best player by a country mile.
At an individual level, Lewandowski's 2020-21 season was just as incredible. He broke Gerd Muller's record of most goals scored in a Bundesliga season (40), scoring 41 goals in 29 appearances. He finished the 2020-21 season with a tally of 48 goals and nine assists in 40 appearances across all competitions for the Bavarians.
Lewandowski also contributed three goals to Poland's cause at Euro 2020 but they were knocked out in the group stage. He also managed to win just the Bundesliga title last term and it remains to be seen whether that will be enough to make him a Ballon d'Or winner.
#2 Jorginho - Italy/Chelsea
No player has had as good a summer as Chelsea midfielder Jorginho. He was a standout performer for Italy as they won the European championship. The Italian midfielder was on top of his game, dispensing his defensive and offensive duties at the heart of the pitch with aplomb.
One of the most technically refined players of his generation, Jorginho is both Italy's and Chelsea's midfield metronome. The 29-year-old won the Champions League title, Euro 2020 and the UEFA Supercup this summer.
He topped the list for interceptions (25), recoveries (46) and fouls drawn (18) at Euro 2020. He has also reportedly won the UEFA Men's Best Men's Player Award, which is set to be announced on Friday.
#1 Lionel Messi - Argentina/Barcelona
Lionel Messi's first major international trophy win might be just enough to propel him to a record seventh Ballon d'Or win. The 34-year-old won the Golden Boot and the Best Player Award as Argentina won the Copa America this summer after a 28-year drought.
Messi also won the Copa Del Rey with Barcelona and was phenomenal for them in the second half of the 2020-21 season. He was the recipient of the Pichichi trophy, his eighth one so far, scoring 30 goals in La Liga last term. In total, Messi scored 38 goals and provided 14 assists in 47 appearances across all competitions for Barcelona in 2020-21.
The six-time Ballon d'Or winner has moved to Paris Saint-Germain and has reunited with Neymar Jr. He is tipped to have yet another wonderful season and this could once again be his year as far as the Ballon d'Or is concerned.
