France Football announced the 30 nominees for the award on the 8th of October. Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Robert Lewandowski are among the nominees on the 30-man 2021 Ballon d’Or longlist. Gianluigi Donnarumma is the only goalkeeper to be nominated in the 30 members list. However, the list also includes some talented midfielders with the likes of Modric, N’Golo Kante, De Bruyn, Bruno Fernandes. So, let’s have a look at the three best midfielders in the 30-man shortlist for this year’s Ballon d’Or award.
3. N’Golo Kante (Chelsea)
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. He was the Midfielder of the Season in the 2020-21 UEFA Champions League. France early exists from the world cup could hammer Kante’s Ballon d’Or chances.
2. Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City)
Arguably one of the best midfielders in the world, Kevin De Brunyne has been in fine touch for the last few seasons. The Belgian midfielder is among the top 10 assist providers of all time in the Premier League, with 78 assists in 180 Premier League appearances – that works out at 0.43 assists per game.
In 2019–20, De Bruyne tied the record for most assists in a Premier League season and was awarded Player of the Season. Kevin was awarded the PFA Player’s Player Of The Year award. This is De Bruyne’s sixth appearance in the Ballon d’Or 30-man shortlist. Last time he finished at the 9th position in the Ballon d’Or final rankings.
1. Jorginho (Chelsea)
The Italian midfielder has been in flying form for the last two seasons. He has played one important role in Italy’s 2020 Euro-winning campaign and was also a part of Chelsea’s unexpected 2020/21 Champions League triumph. Jorginho was one of five Italian players to make it into the Euro 2020 team of the tournament and was a vital part of Chelsea’s Champions League-winning squad. And with this, Jorginho has been one of the strong contenders to win Ballon D’or this year.
Jorginho his Ballon d’Or chances (To Eurosport): “We all have dreams. If we’re talking about talent then I know I’m not the best in the world. How could I compare myself to Messi, Neymar, or Cristiano Ronaldo? (Valium) They’ve completely different characteristics to me. But, I repeat, it depends on the criteria.”