The Ballon d’Or is just around the corner! In this list I will run down the contenders and predict who will prosper and who will plummet.
15. Romelu Lukaku (Belgium, Chelsea)
Romelu Lukaku has had yet another astounding year! With 30 goals in all competitions last season. With him and Lautaro Martinez on form Inter Milan managed to pip Juventus to win Serie A. His stellar form in Italy meant that he got his dream return to Chelsea for £92 million.
14. Harry Kane (England, Tottenham Hotspur)
Harry Kane has been one of the best centre-forwards in the world this year. Kane pinched top-scorer and most assists in the Premier League even within a fairly average Tottenham side. His form carried to the Euros where he got four goals and helped England to make the final. Let’s hope his form eventually carries to this season, with him having one goal in ten appearances in the Premier League.
13. Gianluigi Donnarumma (Italy, Paris Saint-Germain)
Gigi Donnarumma has been one of ,if not, the best goalkeepers in the world this year. After the 2019/20
season, Milan were written off from being anything other than Europa League contenders. But thanks to Gigi’s saves (plus a modest Swede) Milan went above and beyond finishing second- above reigning champions Juventus! And then came the summer. Nothing much happened, just a dream move to PSG and a Euro’s title.
12. Erling Haaland (Norway, Borussia Dortmund)
Erling Haaland’s breakout happened in a flash three years ago he was just some teenager playing in Austria. Now he is one of the most valuable players on the planet and is able to hit three balls stacked on one another. You really do know Haaland is powerful when he is able to dislocate Virgil van Dijk’s finger. I still believe the theory that he is a robot. I mean, look at his numbers! He has already netted 9 goals in just 6 Bundesliga matches!
11. Bruno Fernandes (Portugal, Manchester United)
Bruno, Bruno, Bruno! He came from Sporting like Cristiano! He goes left, he goes right! Turns defenders to ***** he’s our Portuguese magnifico! That is the chant Manchester United fans sing when their Portuguese playmaker scores - which has been happening quite often recently. He is well known for his penalties and for good reason nine out of his twenty-two goals this year! I’m surprised his back doesn’t hurt from carrying Manchester United this year.
10. Kevin de Bruyne (Belgium, Manchester City)
Possibly Manchester City’s best ever player, Kevin de Bruyne has failed to disappoint this past year. The best forward-thinking midfielder in the world, he has impressed this past year with 32 goals and assists in all competitions. In the past, he has been the constant that has let Manchester City move on to greater things and this year has been no different.
9. Neymar Jr. (Brazil, Paris Saint-Germain)
Neymar has been fairly inconsistent in his time at PSG. It seems 2021 has been similar. His performances were not up to the standard PSG fans were expecting as they didn’t even manage to win Ligue 1! That being said, Neymar has still been a major part of PSG, rallying them together - so let’s hope they take home the Hexagol.
8. Jorginho (Italy, Chelsea)
Jorginho has won all that he could’ve (apart from the Premier League) this year. The Champions’ League, the Euros and UEFA men’s best player. Some would say that he should be straight into the top 5. But not for me. If not for his trophies Jorginho would never have been considered for these awards. I think he has been above average but not the best defensive midfielder in the world (he comes later on).
7. Karim Benzema (France, Real Madrid)
When Cristiano Ronaldo left Real Madrid in 2019, Los Blancos needed a new talisman. The next year, they bought Eden Hazard from Chelsea but he turned out to be a total £100 million flop. Instead of Hazard being the answer to Real’s problem, step forward Karim Benzema. This year
hasn’t been any different to the last. He racked up a staggering 68 goals and assists in the past year!
6. N’golo Kanté (France, Chelsea)
I told you I’d show you the best defensive-midfielder in the world- and here he is. Kanté has been great this year- his overall game has improved massively. Without him, Chelsea probably wouldn’t have won the Champions League. His tackling, intercepting and overall defensive presence gives his teammates a huge boost. If the man who has won it all had won the one trophy which has eluded him (the Euros) then he would have come even higher in my expectations.
5. Kylian Mbappé (France, Paris Saint Germain)
The gift that keeps on giving, Kylian Mbappé has not stopped this year. 41 goals in all competitions isn’t too bad for a 22 year old. He is yet again showing just why PSG value him so highly. I do believe, however, that PSG have royally messed things up as if they had accepted Real Madrid’s £200 million offer they would’ve at least been able to get a ,rather large, sum of money. Instead they rejected it meaning that Real Madrid can snap him up for free in January.
4. Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal, Manchester United)
Cristiano Ronaldo has had a peculiar year, it’s fair to say. The fact that he nearly scored 30 goals in Serie A last year and Juve only just scraped top four. It is his form at Juve this past year that keeps him out of the top 3. The fact that a prestigious team like Juventus lost to Porto in the Champions League round of 16 shows that life under Pirlo wasn’t easy for the Old Lady. But he still got his dream move back to Manchester and is already in double figures for scoring this season!
3. Mohamed Salah (Egypt, Liverpool)
This year has brought the best out of some players and the worst of others. I’m glad to say Mo Salah has stuck to the former. Salah has once again proved how his team’s shaky form doesn’t stop him from bringing out his best. With 22 goals last year, Liverpool’s Egyptian King missed out on a third Premier League golden boot by one goal. When he started this season people sensed he would have a good season this season. So far he has surpassed those expectations as he has got half the amount of Premier League goals he got last year in just 12 games. Mo Salah take a seat on your throne.
2. Lionel Messi (Argentina, Paris Saint-Germain)
Lionel Messi seemed to be in for the long haul with Barcelona this year. With Suarez out of the door and Barcelona in a major financial crisis, Messi and most other football fans knew he would have to be the one pushing Barcelona into the top 4. And they were right. He beat his rival Ronaldo on goals in the league and Barcelona did indeed finish in the Champions League places. Initially when writing this list I had Messi top but his poor form at PSG has forced me to push him to second.
1. Robert Lewandowski (Poland, Bayern Munich)
My predicted number one is the TikTok dancing, free scoring, defence embarrassing King of the Bundesliga. Robert Lewandowski is definitely my best player of 2021. In fact, if he does indeed win, he deserves to count this as his second Ballon d’Or after the cancellation of the ceremony last year. This past year he has scored 55 Bundesliga goals in 41 appearances. He certainly does deserve the nickname given to him by Thomas Muller: Robert ‘Lewangoalski’.
Who do you think will win the Ballon d'Or?
By Jake MacLeod
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