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| Image: Getty |
After being cancelled in 2020, the Ballon d’Or is back, with the great and good of the football world again eyeing the biggest individual honour the game has to offer.
Although the prize will not be handed out until December, performances over the coming weeks will go a long way to deciding who will and won’t be in contention to succeed 2019 winner Lionel Messi.
With the European season now well behind us and both Euro 2020 and the Copa America also in the books, the world’s best players are beginning to come to the fore.
So, by using their performances so far, as well as predictions of what is likely still to come in 2021, who holds the most power in this year’s race?
According to Goal ranks the runners and riders…
#20 Pedri (Barcelona)
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In 2021: Three goals, six assists. Won Copa del Rey.
#19 Phil Foden (Manchester City)
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Last time: 16th
In 2021: 11 goals, seven assists. Won Premier League & Carabao Cup.
#18 Ilkay Gundogan (Manchester City)
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Last week: 18th
In 2021: 16 goals, six assists. Won Premier League & Carabao Cup.
#17 Mason Mount (Chelsea)
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Last time: 14th
In 2021: Nine goals, four assists. Won Champions League.
#16 Neymar (Paris Saint-Germain)
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Last time: 10th
In 2021: 12 goals, 11 assists. Won Coupe de France & Trophee des Champions.
#15 Gianluigi Donnarumma (Unattached)
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Last time: NEW ENTRY
In 2021: 17 clean sheets. Won Euro 2020.
#14 Harry Kane (Tottenham)
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Last time: 12th
In 2021: 23 goals, five assists.
#13 Ruben Dias (Manchester City)
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Last time: 13th
In 2021: One goal, 19 clean sheets. Won Premier League & Carabao Cup.
#12 Raheem Sterling (Manchester City)
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Last time: 8th
In 2021: 11 goals, seven assists. Won Premier League & Carabao Cup.
#11 Karim Benzema (Real Madrid)
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Last time: 11th
In 2021: 22 goals, five assists.
#10 Federico Chiesa (Juventus)
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Last time: 17th
In 2021: 14 goals, five assists. Won Euro 2020, Coppa Italia & Supercoppa Italiana.
#9 Erling Haaland (Borussia Dortmund)
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Last time: 9th
In 2021: 25 goals, nine assists. Won DFB-Pokal.
#8 Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus)
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Last time: 7th
In 2021: 27 goals, four assists. Won Coppa Italia & Supercoppa Italiana.
#7 Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City)
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Last time: 6th
In 2021: 10 goals, 10 assists. Won Premier League & Carabao Cup.
#6 Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain)
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Last time: 5th
In 2021: 29 goals, seven assists. Won Coupe de France & Trophee des Champions.
#5 Romelu Lukaku (Inter)
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Last time: 4th
In 2021: 22 goals, seven assists. Won Serie A.
#4 N’Golo Kante (Chelsea)
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Last time: 3rd
In 2021: One assist. Won Champions League.
#3 Jorginho (Chelsea)
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Last time: 15th
In 2021: Five goals, two assists. Won Euro 2020 & Champions League.
#2 Robert Lewandowski (Bayern
Munich)
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Last time: 2nd
In 2021: 34 goals, four assists. Won Bundesliga & Club World Cup.
#1 Lionel Messi (Unattached)
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Last time: 1st
In 2021: 33 goals, 14 assists. Won Copa America & Copa del Rey.
It was the moment millions of football fans have been waiting the best part of 15 years for, as Messi finally got his hands on a major international trophy.
The Player of the Tournament and Golden Boot winner at the Copa America, Messi’s supreme club form in 2021 carried through into the international arena, and now Ballon d’Or number seven is surely going to be on its way this December.