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With the Ballon d'Or ceremony less than two weeks away, the jury is still out on who will go onto win the most individual prestigious prize in football. Robert Lewandowski was widely tipped to win the Ballon d'Or in 2020 but he missed out as the award was canceled in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Ballon d'Or 2021 award has 4 major contenders
The race for this year's Ballon d'Or has blown wide open. There are several top contenders and it's difficult to choose between the frontrunners this time around. Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have enjoyed a duopoly of sorts over the award over the past decade.
Messi has won a record six Ballons d'Ors while Ronaldo is right behind him with five to his name. Will Messi be able to put more daylight between him and his eternal rival? We'll find out within a fortnight.
Without further ado, let's take a look at the top four contenders for this year's Ballon d'Or.
Jorginho (Italy/Chelsea)
Italy and Chelsea midfielder Jorginho has had a wonderful year. He was a standout performer for the Blues as they won the UEFA Champions League last term. Jorginho did a wonderful job and kept things ticking in midfield throughout.
He kicked on in the same vein and did a stellar job for Italy at Euro 2020. Jorginho dispensed his duties on both sides of the pitch with aplomb. The 29-year-old showcased a great deal of tactical intelligence and technical proficiency in the center of the park.
Whether or not Chelsea and Italy's respective triumphs can be chalked up to Jorginho's individual brilliance is a pertinent question. However, the fact that he did perform well in both tournaments is beyond doubt.
Jorginho was named UEFA Footballer of the Year and is one of the players who is tipped to make the Ballon d'Or podium this year.
Karim Benzema (France/Real Madrid)
Karim Benzema pushed up the ladder in the race for the Ballon d'Or later than the rest of his competition. He clocked pretty solid numbers for Real Madrid in the 2020-21 season, scoring 30 goals and providing nine assists in 46 appearances across all competitions.
Benzema earned a call-up to the French national side after a gap of six years this summer for Euro 2020. He scored four goals in four appearances at the tournament to justify his selection. Benzema then chipped in with crucial goals in the semi-finals and finals of France's triumphant run in the UEFA Nations League.
He has been in sublime form in the 2021-22 season as well and this has greatly boosted his credentials in the Ballon d'Or race. Benzema has scored 14 goals and racked up eight assists in 15 appearances across all competitions for Real Madrid so far this term.
Robert Lewandowski (Poland/Bayern Munich)
Robert Lewandowski is arguably the best striker in the world right now. He has been in spectacular form over the past few seasons and has been a class apart in terms of goalscoring. He is justified in feeling robbed off the award last year as it was canceled in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Lewandowski shrugged it off and continued to score goals at a staggering rate for both club and country. In the 2020-21 season, he broke Gerd Muller's record for scoring the most number of goals in a single Bundesliga season (40) by netting 41 in 29 appearances.
Needless to say, the Polish international was Bayern Munich's main man as they won the Bundesliga title last term. Lewandowski scored a total of 48 goals and provided nine assists in 40 appearances across all competitions for Bayern Munich in the 2020-21 season.
He has been unstoppable in the 2021-22 season so far. Lewandowski has scored 23 goals and has provided two assists in 17 appearances across all competitions so far. The 33-year-old scored three goals in three appearances at Euro 2020 as well but Poland crashed out in the group stage.
Lionel Messi (Argentina/Paris Saint-Germain)
Lionel Messi could well be on course to win a record seventh Ballon d'Or this year. Messi has had a mixed bag of a year. But he was in exceptional form in 2021. After taking a while to hit his stride in the 2020-21 season, Messi kicked into gear since the turn of the year.
He almost single-handedly dragged Barcelona back into the La Liga title race, although the Catalans squandered made a mess of it in the final few weeks. Messi was their best player as Barcelona won the Copa Del Rey.
But his crowning achievement was winning the Copa America 2021 with Argentina in the summer. Messi won the Golden Boot and was named the Best Player of the Tournament for his exploits at the continental competition. He scored four goals and provided five assists in seven appearances at Copa America 2021.
Messi switched clubs in the summer and joined Paris Saint-Germain. Although he has impressed in the Champions League, he is yet to score his first goal in Ligue 1 after five appearances. His recent form might have hampered his chances of winning the Ballon d'Or but he is still widely viewed as the favourite this year.
Deserved standings for Ballon d'Or 2021:
1. Robert Lewandowski
2. Lionel Messi
3. Karim Benzema
4. Jorginho
Predicted Standings
1. Lionel Messi
2. Robert Lewandowski
3. Jorginho
4. Karim Benzema
Robert Lewandowski's individual brilliance might just propel him to a first Ballon d'Or win.
