"A lot of players can claim it" - Chelsea superstar Mason Mount names 4 players over Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi as favorites to win the 2021 Ballon d'Or

The winner of the 2021 Ballon d'Or award will be announced in just five days' time, with everyone keeping their fingers crossed.

Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount has named four players he believes are favorites to claim the accolade and surprisingly, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have both been left out.

According to the Englishman, one among the quartet of Robert Lewandowski, Mohamed Salah, Jorginho and N'Golo Kante could emerge victorious in the race for the Ballon d'Or.

"This is a difficult question, I am happy that I do not have the responsibility to decide on these kinds of things," the Chelsea superstar replied when asked to name the players he sees being able to win the Ballon d'Or in 2021.

"There are a lot of players who can claim it. Like (Robert) Lewandowski, considering the number of goals he has scored and the way he weighs in matches.

"Recently, Mohamed Salah has also been unplayable. And obviously, as a Chelsea player, I'm going to name my club teammates like Jorgi (Jorginho), who won the Euro and the Champions League, as well as NG (N'Golo Kante), who is quite simply one of the best players in the world."

The race for the 2021 Ballon d'Or award is one of the most intense ones we've seen over the last couple of years.

Many players have put themselves in the spotlight, having impressed across their domestic competitions, the Champions League as well the Euros and the Copa America.

That includes Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, who have been shining lights for their respective clubs and countries throughout the year.

The winner of the accolade will be announced at the award gala at the Theatre du Chatelet, in Paris, France, on November 29.

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Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo both appeared on the 30-man shortlist for the 2021 Ballon d'Or award, which was released last month.

The duo have had an incredible year and will fancy their chances of going home with the coveted prize once again in their careers.

According to reports, Lionel Messi is well-poised to win the accolade this year after leading Argentina to claim the Copa America in the summer.

Cristiano Ronaldo, meanwhile, could fail to make it to the podium, with players like Robert Lewandowski, Jorginho and Karim Benzema apparently ahead of him in the rankings.