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With just over a month to go until the 2021 Ballon d'Or, fans across the world are eagerly waiting to see who picks up the prized accolade. The 2020 edition of the France Football showpiece was canceled due to the Covid-19 pandemic, with Bayern Munich sensation Robert Lewandowski widely tipped to win the Ballon d'Or at the time.
Coming to the 2021 edition of the award, Spanish publication Sport have brought to light a list that reveals the final rankings. Lewandowski may have missed out on the award last year, but if the leaked list is anything to go by, he is all set to win his first-ever Ballon d'Or this time around.
With 627 points to his name, the Polish hitman tops the rankings, while Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) superstar Lionel Messi and Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema complete the top three. Liverpool attacker Mohamed Salah, who has enhanced his Ballon d'Or credentials with a series of eye-catching displays for the Reds this season, is reportedly set to finish fourth, while Chelsea midfielder Jorginho is at #5 on the list.
Kylian Mbappe, N'Golo Kante, Erling Haaland, Cristiano Ronaldo complete the rest of the top ten, with other notable names like Neymar, Romelu Lukaku, Bruno Fernandes, Giorgio Chiellini and Harry Kane also making the top 20.
It has to be reiterated that this is not the final Ballon d'Or standings, with the results officially set to be announced on the 29th of November. However, it is one of the most widely-discussed topics in world football, so leaks like this close to the award are only natural and need to be taken with a pinch of salt.
Lionel Messi among the frontrunners for the 2021 Ballon d'Or
The 2021 Ballon d'Or voting closed on the 25th of October, but that has only added to the excitement around the potential winner. Despite the outcome of the leaked list, PSG superstar Lionel Messi remains the frontrunner for the prize, having spearheaded Barcelona to the Copa del Rey and Argentina to Copa America 2021 glory.
However, the likes of Benzema and Lewandowski are breathing down his neck, while Salah and Jorginho are also in with an outside chance of creating history. As things stand, though, nothing is confirmed and only time will tell which of these incredibly talented footballers gets their hands on the coveted prize.
