A jury of 180 journalists from around the world compiled the list of nominees at the request of the organizing magazine France Football and cast a vote. The top favorites appear to be six-time winners Lionel Messi and Robert Lewandowski. The 34-year-old Argentinian won the Spanish Cup with Barcelona and led his country to a victory in the Copa America, although he was not yet convinced in the PSG shirt.
33-year-old Lewandowski broke the record of the legendary Gerd Müller with 41 goals in the Bundesliga. Bayern Munich’s goal machine could become the first Pole on the honors list. He has already been voted the best player of 2020 by FIFA, ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi.
Last year the Ballon d’Or was not awarded after a season that was seriously disrupted by the corona pandemic. Messi won the last edition in 2019. Eden Hazard was thirteenth, Kevin De Bruyne fourteenth.
Belgians are also in the running for an award in the secondary categories. Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid) can win the Yashin trophy for best goalkeeper and Jérémy Doku (Rennes) has been nominated for the Kopa trophy for best player under 21. A Ballon d’Or for women will also be awarded for the third time. There they are looking for a successor for the American Megan Rapinoe.
The Ballon d’Or has been awarded since 1956. England goalkeeper Stanley Matthews was the first to win the trophy. Messi is the most acclaimed player ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo, who has won five times, with six appearances. Since 2008, the Golden Ball has always gone to one of the two tenors, except in 2018. Then the Croatian Luka Modric won.
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