The 2021 Ballon d’Or award has a lot of strong contenders. Many players have shown remarkable consistency in the last year including some youngsters too. The winner is chosen on the basis of a combination of votes from journalists, national team captains, and coaches. So, let’s look at the Ballon d’Or Power Rankings for the month of July.
Harry Kane
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Harry Kane is one of the best strikers in the Premier League. He is well known for his playmaking, prolific goalscoring record, and range shots. Also, he is one of those players who can convert the set pieces regularly. He started slowly in the Euro 2020 but has now scored 3 goals and looking more threatening at the moment. Kane scored 33 goals and provided 17 assists for Tottenham Hotspur in the 2020-21 season.
Kane finished as leading goal-scorer and assist-maker in the Premier League 2020-21, a feat not achieved since 1994. He became only the third player to have won both the Golden Boot and Playmaker awards in the same season in the history of the Premier League. So, Harry Kane could well become one of the major contenders for the Ballon d’Or award this year.
Cristiano Ronaldo
One of the greatest players to have played the game. The one who loves to take on opponents and create chances for other players. The 36-year-old was in great form in the Euro 2020. He scored 5 goals in just 4 matches and won the Golden Boot award for the top goal-scorer at the 2021 European Championships. He also won the Coppa Italia and the Supercoppa Italiana but the defeats in Serie A and the Champions League could go against in Ballon d’Or rankings.
Ronaldo won the Serie A Golden Boot this season. He ended the league campaign with 29 goals, winning the Capocannoniere award for the highest goalscorer and becoming the first footballer to finish as top scorer in the English, Spanish, and Italian leagues. Ronaldo scored 36 goals and provided four assists in 44 appearances across all competitions for Juventus. Going by his current form, Ronaldo is one of the top contenders for winning Ballon d’Or.
Kante
Kante has produced some match-winning performances in the knockout stages of the UEFA Champions League. He was named man of the match as he won his first UEFA Champions League after Chelsea defeated Manchester City 1–0 in the 2021 UEFA Champions League Final. He was also named Chelsea’s best player as they won the UEFA Champions League in the 2020-21 season.
One of the best mid-fielders currently, Kante has always been top-notch with his playmaking. France early exists from the world cup could hammer Kante’s Ballon d’Or chances. He could do some magic at the start of the premier league season but still, there is very little chance of Kante winning the Ballon d’Or this year.
Robert Lewandowski
Easily, one of the best strikers in the world currently. He is well known for his goal-scoring ability, positioning, and finishing too. Overall, he is a complete package. Also, one of the most successful players in Bundesliga history. He was awarded the Best Men’s FIFA player 2020. He also scored three goals in three matches at Euro 2020.
Robert Lewandowski was in a flying form in the season 2020-21. He scored whopping 48 goals from 40 appearances across all competitions for Bayern Munich this season. Robert played a key role in Bayern Munich’s Bundesliga winning campaign. He also won his first European Golden Shoe award. And if Lewandowski starts the 2021-22 season with a bang then he’s the favorite to win the Ballon d’Or award.
Lionel Messi
Easily, one of the greatest players to have played the game. He has scored 38 goals,14 assists in 47 appearances across all competitions for Barcelona this past season. The top goalscorer in La Liga, Messi was announced as the winner of the Pichichi trophy for a record eighth time in his career in the season 2020-21. It was also a record fifth consecutive win in La Liga.
The 34-year-old recently won his first international trophy with Argentina at the Copa Aerica 2021. He was the best player at Copa America, winning both the Golden Ball and the Best Player award. Messi scored four goals and provided five assists in seven appearances. Currently, Messi is the favorite to win the Ballon d’Or award for the 7th time in his career.