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Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) star Lionel Messi has revealed who he will vote for in the race for the 2021 Ballon d'Or award. The Argentine admitted that his new PSG team-mates Neymar and Kylian Mbappe are the two players who will earn his vote without a doubt.
Lionel Messi also acknowledged that Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski had an excellent year, while lauding the efforts of Karim Benzema at Real Madrid.
The six-time Ballon d'Or winner expressed his opinions candidly during a chat with France Football:
"In my team, there are two for whom I will easily vote: Ney & Kylian. And then Lewandowski, who has just had a great year.
"There's also Benzema who has been excellent."
On Friday, October 8, France Football announced the 30-man shortlist for the 2021 Ballon d'Or award. Lionel Messi is accompanied by the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, Kylian Mbappe, Robert Lewandowski, Karim Benzema and Luka Modric, among others on the list.
Lionel Messi is the favorite to win the Ballon d'Or in 2021
Following his triumph with Argentina in the Copa America in July, Lionel Messi is widely regarded as the favorite to win the Ballon d'Or this year. The 34-year-old finished the continental tournament as the top scorer as Argentina beat Brazil in the final to be crowned champions.
Notably, it was Lionel Messi's first major international trophy with Argentina. The memorable achievement came on the back of a strong individual season with Barcelona, where he netted 38 goals and registered 14 assists across all competitions. Lionel Messi also won the Copa del Rey title with Barcelona last season.
However, the celebrations did not last too long for Barcelona after they realized the magnitude of their financial predicament. The Catalans were unable to retain the services of Lionel Messi due to the financial regulations imposed on them by La Liga. As such, the mercurial forward made the switch to Ligue 1 with PSG on a free transfer.
Now in Paris, Lionel Messi is hoping to add a record-extending seventh Ballon d'Or award to his glittering trophy cabinet. Notably, the 2021 edition is the 13th time he has been nominated for the prestigious award. The official ceremony for the 2021 Ballon d'Or will be held on November 2019 at Theatre du Chatlet in Paris. In addition to the men's and women's Ballon d'Or awards, the Kopa Trophy (U21) and Yachine Trophy will also be awarded on the day.
