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Copa America 2021 is about to start in a few days' time, with defending champions Brazil set to host the tournament. After the original edition of the tournament in 2020 had to be postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the two co-hosts, Colombia (civil unrest) and Argentina (COVID-19 concerns), have been replaced by Brazil.
Some of the finest players in the game will grace Copa America 2021, including Neymar, Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi, to name a few. The trio, along with a few others, will look to be in the mix for the Golden Ball, awarded to the tournament's best player.
On that note, let's take a look at the top five contenders for the Golden Ball at Copa America 2021.
#5 Federico Valverde (Uruguay)
With Toni Kroos and Luka Modric in their 30s, the emergence of Federico Valverde could not have come at a more opportune time for Real Madrid.
The 22-year old, who has impressed with his performances in midfield for Los Blancos, has racked up 23 caps for Uruguay, who are one of the contenders at Copa America 2021. Barring injury, Valverde is likely to start for the record 15-time Copa America champions at the tournament.
Valverde is coming off a stop-start 2020-21 campaign, making only 15 La Liga starts, partly due to injury issues and the excellent form of the evergreen duo of Kroos and Modric. So the former Penarol man, who scored three league goals, will be keen to get some minutes under his belt at Copa America 2021.
Also Read: Fabrizio Romano's Transfer Roundup: Update on Lionel Messi's Barcelona future, Chelsea's plan for the summer, and more.
#4 Angel Di Maria (Argentina)
Angel Di Maria has been a part of the Argentina setup for quite some time. Given his quality and consistent performances, it is clear why he is rated highly by many.
Critics tend to remember Di Maria's catastrophic Manchester United spell. But the 33-year old has had excellent stints at Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain either side of his Old Trafford sojourn.
Di Maria has been capped 105 times by Argentina, and his creativity, passing and goalscoring ability could come in handy for the 14-time champions at Copa America 2021.
In the recently-concluded 2020-21 campaign, Angel Di Maria made 23 Ligue 1 starts, scoring four goals and providing nine assists.
The former Benfica man is capable of playing anywhere across the forward line. His understanding with Lionel Messi could be crucial to Argentina's hopes of ending their long trophy drought at Copa America 2021.
Also Read: 5 players Manchester United could sign this summer.
#3 Luis Suarez (Uruguay)
Nicknamed 'El Pistolero', Luis Suarez could be one of the players to watch out for at Copa America 2021.
Widely regarded as one of the greatest strikers of the modern generation, the 34-year old will come to Copa America 2021 on the back of a phenomenal 2020-21 campaign with Atletico Madrid. Suarez made 30 La Liga starts and scored 21 goals to help Diego Simeone's side clinch the league title for the first time in seven years.
The former Barcelona man will be brimming with confidence and could cause problems to opposition defences at Copa America 2021. Suarez might have slowed down a bit, but he remains an excellent finisher who would look to take his team all the way at the tournament.
#2 Neymar (Brazil)
Brazil won Copa America 2019 without their star forward Neymar, but the attacker is expected to be a part of the team at Copa America 2021.
The 29-year old is regarded as one of the best players in the game and will carry a lot of pressure on his shoulders this summer. Neymar did not enjoy the best of seasons with Paris Saint-Germain, as the Parisien giants finished second in Ligue 1 and were eliminated in the Champions League semi-finals by Manchester City.
Neymar made only 15 Ligue 1 starts, scoring nine goals and providing five assists. The former Barcelona man will look to have an excellent Copa America 2021 campaign and enter the new season high on confidence.
Also Read: Copa America 2021: 5 players above the age of 30 who could set the tournament alight.
#1 Lionel Messi (Argentina)
There has been intense scrutiny on Lionel Messi's exploits with Argentina, as he has failed to win an international trophy with La Albiceleste despite a glittering club career with Barcelona.
The 33-year-old was once again Barcelona's most important player in the 2020-21 season, making 33 league starts, scoring 30 goals and providing nine assists. However, in Argentina colours, Messi has endured three losses (2007, 2015, 2016) in Copa America finals. That is something he would look to correct as he approaches the fag end of his illustrious career.
Messi's qualities are undeniable, and he is arguably one of the greatest players to have graced the game. A strong Copa America 2021 campaign could help Argentina win their first title in the competition in almost three decades and lift a huge weight off Lionel Messi's shoulders.
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