The 2020-2021 football season ended this weekend with the victory of Argentina at the Copa America, and that of Italy at Euro 2021. What influence the votes for the next Ballon d ‘ gold? Probably.
After a year of hiatus, Covid obliges, the Golden Ball will make a comeback in 2021. If theoretically, the most prestigious of individual trophies rewards in December the best player in the world over a calendar year, it is often on the previous season that the contenders are judged.
In 2019, for example, the list of nominees was published in October, and the vote took place in the following weeks. In other words, the 2020-2021 fiscal year, and the major international competitions which have just ended, will serve as references. And that some players – especially one – have already taken a good lead …
Messi: the Copa America that could (should?) Make the difference
The genius of Rosario has already received the Golden Ball six times, without having won any major competition with Argentina. So now that his counter with the Albiceleste is unlocked, the seventh trophy seems more than within his reach …
Best player of the Copa America, tied top scorer, and best passer, Messi finally got everyone to agree with the national team jersey on his shoulders, and was also entitled to great congratulations of Neymar, unhappy finalist.
Something to strike hard in the minds of voters, especially as the Pulga comes out of a good season with Barça. Despite a false start in the summer of 2020, and a sluggish start to autumn, the Argentinian ended the 2020-2021 fiscal year in club with 38 goals (including 30 in La Liga) and 14 assists. So yes, he only lifted the Copa del Rey, and not the Liga or the Champions League. But the record is still solid. At least enough to be the number 1 favorite to date.
Jorginho: the two best competitions in the pocket, but one less thing
With Chelsea’s triumph in the Champions League, and that of Italy at the Euro, they are only two players this season to have won the two biggest competitions on the Old Continent: Emerson and Jorginho.
Given the playing time of the first club (88 minutes in the Premier League), his case is quickly resolved. But for Jorginho, the debate is open. Associated with N’Golo Kanté in the Blues, and Marco Verratti and Nicolo Barella during the last matches of the Nazionale, the midfielder has proven that he is a very complete, valiant player, who does not balk at the work of The shadow.
But now, this last point is also his “weakness” in the race for the Golden Ball. Jorginho is never a star player on his team, nor is he a stats player (8 goals, 2 assists this season with Chelsea). The most picky will also blame him for missing his shot on goal against England.
Asked after the game on the subject of the Golden Ball, the Brazilian by birth did not seem to believe it himself. “Next question,” he cut in. I don’t want to talk about this, I don’t want to think about it, I just want to enjoy this moment with the others.
Kanté, Mbappé, Benzema: the French weighed down by the Euro
And the Blues in all of this? With the elimination against Switzerland in the round of 16 of the Euro, they seem a little out of the game … Before the competition, three could be placed as credible contenders: N’Golo Kanté, Kylian Mbappé, and Karim Benzema.
Kanté has been sparkling with Chelsea this season, and was on the rise right after the Champions League final. But he seemed exhausted during Euro 2021, and could not find this level with the France team. Perhaps also because he did not have the same players at his side, a Paul Pogba not having the profile of a Jorginho.
Mbappé had self-proclaimed himself as a candidate for the Ballon d’Or after a successful 2020-2021 exercise (42 goals with PSG), but he did not shake the nets once during the Euro, and has in addition ended the competition with an image blurred by clumsy statements.
As for Benzema, he has nothing to be ashamed of with Real (30 goals), nothing to be ashamed of either with the Blues this summer (4 goals). But now, he ends the season without having won any competition.
De Bruyne, Kane, Donnarumma, Lewandowski, Ronaldo: other candidates in ambush
If Belgium had won the Euro, Kevin De Bruyne would undoubtedly have been Lionel Messi’s number 1 rival on Monday, or even the favorite, as he was coming out of a good season with Manchester City, despite several physical problems. Appeared at the Euro in the middle of the group stage, the playing master of the Devils was immediately decisive, but could not prevent the defeat against Italy in the quarter. The situation is a bit the same for Romelu Lukaku, winner of Serie A with Inter before the Euro, who has shown that he is one of the most complete center-forward on the planet.
On the English side, Harry Kane and Raheem Sterling have been in sight with the Three Lions. But they lost the final. In addition, the former only finished 7th in the Premier League with Tottenham, and the latter had rather complicated months at City under Pep Guardiola.
Like Jorginho, Gianluigi Donnarumma can boast of having triumphed at Wembley. He even finished the Euro with the trophy for best player in his hands, after a good season in Serie A with AC Milan (2nd behind Inter). But the future Parisian is a goalkeeper, which never helps when it comes to Ballon d’Or, and has never played a Champions League match yet.
Robert Lewandowski, who would likely have been a winner in 2020 before the cancellation, had another high profile 2020-2021 season, with 48 goals scored for Bayern, a Bundesliga in his pocket, a Club World Cup, and a nice run in the Champions League before elimination in the quarterfinals, for which he was injured. He also scored three goals in the group stage of the Euro, with modest Poland, but he could not avoid the exit in the first round. It does not have much to do with it, but it is all the same what should make it lose votes.
Finally, there is the case of Cristiano Ronaldo. The five-time Golden Ball has only lifted the Italian Cup and Super Cup this season, his appetite for goals does not always serve his team, but he scores, again and again… 36 times with the Old Lady, 5 more times at Euro 2021 with Portugal, to finish co-best director. Enough to score big points in the votes of observers, for sure.
–
