While the footballing world is going berserk over the formation of the new European Super League, people are forgetting that the current season is still ongoing and at the end of the season, there will be a player who will win the Ballon d’Or and will be crowned as the best player in the world, with Lionel Messi hoping to be crowned a record 7th time.
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Having said that, this time the award might evade the hands of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo and someone new might win it. The prestigious award ceremony was not held last season due to the pandemic and thus fans will be looking forward to the awards this season. Last season it should have been rightfully given to Robert Lewandowski but let’s look at the options this season and see if any Barcelona player stands a chance of winning the Ballon d’Or.
#5 Erling Haaland (Borussia Dortmund)
The first one on the list, in no particular order, to win this season’s Ballon d’Or has to be one of the hottest prospects in Europe at the moment, Erling Haaland. The Borussia Dortmund striker has been creating waves around the world via his goal-scoring abilities and he has proven to the elites that he is good enough to go on to win many trophies in the future.
This season he will not be winning any trophies although he did help Dortmund reach the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League where they were knocked out by arguably the best team in Europe at the moment, Manchester City. His stats, 35 goals, and 10 assists in 36 appearances have attracted all the big clubs of Europe. It is unlikely that he will stay with the German side next season as he has been courted by great clubs such as Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Manchester City. He might not win the Ballon d’Or due to the lack of trophies, but he surely deserves to be on the list due to his insane goal-scoring record.
#4 Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
The Bayern Munich striker is the second striker on the list and the deserved winner of Ballon d’Or last season. He was not awarded the most prestigious individual accolade last season due to the cancelation of the whole event but he has once again proved that he is one of the best strikers in Europe and has made the list for potential winners this season as well. Robert Lewandowski has scored 42 goals in 36 appearances in all competitions this season while also providing eight assists.
This is a huge feat for the player however, he will be disappointed that he got injured near the end of the season and could not help his team in the all-important tie against Paris Saint-German in the UCL. His goals alone should help him win the Ballon d’Or however, the UCL holds great importance in the selection procedure, and Bayern’s inability to defend it might cost him at the end of the season. A fantastic striker in general, he will definitely be a strong candidate for the prestigious award.
#3 Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City)
The Belgian playmaker has shown his class this season even through multiple injuries. Playing in the Premier League is a challenging task and injuries can destroy one’s whole season; however, De Bruyne has been City’s most influential player throughout. The 29-year-old midfielder has been directly involved in 24 goals this season and indirectly involved in many more. He is not the person who will put the ball at the back of the net or even give the last pass, although he has 16 assists, but he is the player who can cut the entire defense open with one single pass.
There is a reason why he is a fan favorite as well as Pep Guardiola’s favorite and he definitely deserves to be on the list after another fantastic season with Manchester City. He could still win the Treble with the Citizens although beating Paris Saint-Germain will be a tough task. Should they finally win the UCL this season, De Bruyne could very well pick up his first Ballon d’Or of his professional career.
#2 Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
The Catalans might be going through a transitional phase and results might be inconsistent however, they have one constant in the club always and that is Lionel Messi. The 33-year-old Captain had a controversial start to the season with transfer rumors and legal talks however, he managed to put all that behind him and maintain his professional duties on the field. He has captained the club to yet another Copa del Rey and they still have a great chance of winning the La Liga. With 23 goals to his name in the league, he is the top scorer and is on his way to pick up yet another Pichici trophy, the eighth one of his career.
He has scored 31 goals and provided 13 assists in all competitions, a figure good enough to warrant him his seventh Ballon d’Or. However, the exit from the UCL might cost him just like it might cost Lewandowski. He has definitely had one of his best seasons with the Blaugrana and could still win the prestigious award to make the gap between him and Cristiano Ronaldo even bigger.
#1 Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain)
Messi might still be considered the best player in the world however, the best performing player this season has to be Kylian Mbappe. The PSG starlet has absolutely shown his true self this season and could go on to win the UCL as well. The Paris side dumped out the Catalans courtesy of four goals from Mbappe over the two legs. They managed to knock out last season’s winners, Bayern, as well and Mbappe scored two goals in that tie as well.
He has really proved to be the perfect big-game player and might go on to replace Messi as the world’s best in a few years. With 35 goals and 10 assists in all competitions, it is hard to see why he cannot win the Ballon d’Or this season. Their main obstacle remains Manchester City in the Champions League semi-finals however, should they get past that and go on to win the competition, surely Mbappe will be hailed as the best player of the season and will deservedly win the Ballon d’Or.
Which of these superstars deserve to win the 2021 Ballon d’Or?