Football a dévoilé, vendredi 8 octobre, la liste des 30 joueurs nommés pour le Ballon d'Or 2021. Lionel Messi, recordman de sacres, vise un 7e trophée. Mais Robert Lewandowski est un très sérieux prétendant, tout comme Karim Benzema. À moins que les triomphes de Jorginho et Gianluigi Donnarumma fassent la différence ? Réponse le 29 novembre.">
The magazine France Football unveiled, Friday, October 8, the list of 30 players nominated for the Ballon d’Or 2021. Lionel Messi, record holder of coronations, is aiming for a 7th trophy. But Robert Lewandowski is a very serious contender, as is Karim Benzema. Unless the triumphs of Jorginho and Gianluigi Donnarumma make the difference? Answer on November 29.
The Ballon d’Or is back. The last edition dates back to 2019, when Lionel Messi was crowned for the 6th time, a new record in this area, ahead of the Dutchman Virgil van Dijk (686 points against 679). That of 2020 was canceled, the organizer France Football having estimated that the Covid-19 pandemic had harmed the sport too much for a winner to be designated. Two years later, the ballot is therefore back.
France Football on Friday listed the names of the players nominated for the men’s Ballon d’Or, the women’s Ballon d’Or, the Kopa Trophy (Ballon d’Or reserved for players under 20) and the Yachine Trophy (best goalie of the year). And the list of 30 nominated for the men’s Ballon d’Or is not stingy in lessons.
Europe in force
Euro 2021 (victory of Italy against England in the final) and the Champions League (victory of Chelsea against Manchester City in the final) undoubtedly weighed in the balance of the jury which appointed the 30 nominees. Among them, there are 5 Manchester City players (Kevin De Bruyne, Ruben Dias, Phil Foden, Riyad Mahrez and Raheem Sterling) and 5 Chelsea players, including 4 C1 winners (Cesar Azpilicueta, Jorginho, N’Golo Kanté, Masoun Mount, as well as Romelu Lukaku).
There are also 5 Italians (Nicolo Barella, Leonardo Bonucci, Giorgio Chiellini, Gianluigi Donnarumma and Jorginho) and 4 Englishmen (Phil Foden, Harry Kane, Masoun Mount and Raheem Sterling).
More generally, this selection of 30 players gives pride of place – largely – to Europe over the rest of the world. They are 24 candidates from the Old Continent, against only 4 South Americans (Argentines Lautaro Martinez and Lionel Messi, Copa America winners, as well as Brazilian Neymar and Uruguayan Luis Suarez) and 2 Africans (Algerian Riyadh Mahrez and the Egyptian Mohamed Salah). Asia, represented by the only South Korean Heung-min Son in 2019, is absent, like Oceania.
A Lewandowski-Messi-Jorginho three-way race?
On November 29, the name of the winner will be announced. And if, in some years, the suspense was zero, for this 2021 edition, it is difficult to determine a big favorite in front of the others. Two men have serious arguments to make. The first is the man who has lifted the Ballon d’Or the most times: Lionel Messi.
Admittedly, the Argentinian has not won anything with FC Barcelona, a club in distress. He even had to leave his Catalan cocoon as the finances of the Blaugrana are so catastrophic. But in all this slump, he continued to stack goals. And before joining PSG, Leo Messi was finally consecrated with the national team by winning the Copa America. After three lost finals and an equally lost World Cup final, the Pulga was finally crowned with the Albiceleste. A strong argument.
The other man whose name comes up the most is Robert Lewandowski. The general opinion is that the Pole would have had the Ballon d’Or 2020 if the edition had not been canceled. The striker scored goal on goal and won the Champions League. This season, he won “only” the Bundesliga, but he again ignited in front of the cage and managed the feat of beating the rgoal concord by Gerd Müller on a championship exercise (41 goals). For many, the Ballon d’Or 2021 would reward all his work.
Finally, Jorginho would make such an ideal Ballon d’Or. The Brazilian-born Italian isn’t as recognized as Messi and Lewandowski, but no player has had such a successful 2020-2021 season. The midfielder has thus won the Champions League with Chelsea and the Euro with Squadra Azzurra, two teams in which he is essential.
The 30 nominated for the men’s Ballon d’Or
Cesar Azpilicueta (Espagneagne/Chelsea)
Nicolo Barella (Italy / Inter Milan)
Karim Benzema (Francence/Real Madrid)
Leonardo Bonucci (Italy / Juventus)
Giorgio Chiellini (Italy / Juventus)
Kevin De Bruyne (Belgium / Manchester City)
Ruben Dias (Portugal/Manchester City)
Gianluigi Donnarumma (Italy / AC Milan-PSG)
Bruno Fernandes (Portugal/Manchester United)
Phil Foden (English relay / Manchester City)
Erling Haaland (Norway / Borussia Dortmund)
Jorginho (Italie/Chelsea)
Harry Kane (England/Tottenham)
N’Golo Kanté (Francence / Chelsea)
Simon Kjaer (Denmark / AC Milan)
Robert Lewandowski (Pologne / Bayern Munich)
Romelu Lukaku (Belgique/Inter Milan-Chelsea)
Riyad Mahrez (Algeria / Manchester City)
Lautaro Martinez (Argentina / Inter Milan)
Kylian Mbappé (Francence / PSG)
Lionel Messi (Argentina / FC Barcelona-PSG)
Luka Modric (Croatie/Real Madrid)
Gerard Moreno (Spanish / Villarreal)
Masoun Mount (England / Chelsea)
Neymar (Brazil / PSG)
Pedri (Spain / FC Barcelona)
Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal/Juventus-Manchester United)
Mohamed Salah (Egypte/Liverpool)
Raheem Sterling (Angleterreleterre/Manchester City)
Luis Suarez (Uruguay / Atlético de Madrid)
The 30 nominated for the Women’s Ballon d’Or
Stina Blackstenius (Denmark / Hedges)
Christiane Endler (Chile / PSG, OL)
Kadidiatou Diani (France/PSG)
Magdalena Eriksson (Sweden / Chelsea)
Jessie Fleming (Canada/Chelsea)
Pernille Harder (Denmark / Chelsea)
Jennifer Hermoso (Spain / FC Barcelona)
Marie-Antoinette Katoto (France / PSG)
Sam Kerr (Australia / Chelsea)
Francen Kirby (England / Chelsea)
Christine Sinclair (Canada/Thorns FC)
Ashley Lawrence (Canada/PSG)
Lieke Martens (Netherlands / FC Barcelona)
Samantha Mewis (Canada/North Carolina Courage)
Viviane Miedema (Netherlands / Arsenal)
Sandra Panos (Spain / FC Barcelona)
Irene Paredes (Spain / PSG-FC Barcelona)
Alexia Putellas (Spain / FC Barcelona)
Wendie Renard (France/OL)
Ellen White (Angleterre/Manchester City)
The 10 nominated for the Yachine Trophy
Thibaut Courtois (Belgium / Real Madrid)
Gianluigi Donnarumma (Italy / AC Milan-PSG)
Ederson (Brazil / Manchester City)
Samir Handanovic (Slovenia / Inter Milan)
Emiliano Martinez (Argentine/Aston Villa)
Édouard Mendy (Senegal / Chelsea)
Keylor Navas (Costa Rica / PSG)
Manuel Neuer (Allemagne / Bayern Munich)
Jan Oblak (Slovénie / Atlético de Madrid)
Kasper Schmeichel (Denmark / Leicester)
The 10 nominated for the Kopa Trophy
Jude Bellingham (Angleterre / Borussia Dortmund)
Jérémy Doku (Belgium / Rennes)
Ryan Gravenberch (Pays-Bas/Ajax Amsterdam)
Mason Greenwood (Angleterre/Manchester United)
Nuno Mendes (Portugal/PSG)
Jamal Musiala (Allemagne / Bayern Munich)
Pedri (Spain / FC Barcelona)
Giovanni Reyna (United States / Borussia Dortmund)
Bukayo Saka (England/Arsenal)
Florian Wirtz (Germany / Bayer Leverkusen)
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