5 clear indications that Lionel Messi will win the 2021 Ballon d'Or
Lionel Messi is considered among the favorites to win the coveted Ballon d'Or award this year. The Argentine has won the accolade a record six times, and could add yet another embellishment to an already dazzling career by claiming his seventh one later this month.
Messi has had an unbelievable year in 2021. The playmaker enjoyed a prolific outing with Barcelona last season, bagging 38 goals and 14 assists across all competitions. He also made history by leading Argentina to victory in the Copa America this summer while also finishing as the top scorer, top assister and player of the tournament.
Thanks to his incredible exploits with club and country, Lionel Messi was recently named on the 30-man shortlist for this year's Ballon d'Or award. Although players like Robert Lewandowski and Jorginho are expected to provide serious competition, the Argentine is still likely to come out on top in the race for the accolade.
There are many clear indications that Messi will win the prestigious prize this year. In this article, we'll discuss five of them.
5. Copa America triumph with Argentina
Lionel Messi was brutally victimized for his failure to win a major international trophy for several years. But the Argentine finally put his antagonists in their place when he made history this summer as La Albiceleste finally claimed the Copa America trophy after 28 years.
Robert Lewandowski: “After what happened at the Copa America tournament, I think it's going to be even harder for me to win the Ballon D’Or award. But I won't mind losing it to the best player of all time.”
Pure class! 👏 https://t.co/WcJ9FRMii0
The playmaker had a historic spell of performances in the tournament. He became the first player to finish as top scorer, top assister and best player in the same edition of the competition. His return of four goals and five assists proved to be too much for anyone else to match, and was pivotal to Argentina's triumph.
Lionel Messi virtually placed one hand on the Ballon d'Or when he added an international trophy to his CV this summer. Considering everything he has endured at an international level, winning the Copa America is arguably the greatest achievement of his career.
4. The Ballon d’Or is not always given to the player with most goals
Bayern Munich's record-breaking striker Robert Lewandowski has emerged as one of Lionel Messi's top rivals for the Ballon d'Or in 2021. The attacker's proficiency in front of goal has earned him plaudits across the globe. But it is important to remind everyone that the Ballon d'Or isn't awarded based on the number of goals.
🗣️ Pascal Ferre (France Football)
"The Ballon D'or is not an award for the player who scored the most goals, there's another award for that. However, it is also not an award for the player who's team won the most trophies. Truthfully, I think it is a mixture of both." 👀 https://t.co/07X8qXhfmF
Pascal Ferre, the chief editor of the magazine that awards the Ballon d'Or, France Football, made this clear in a recent interview. He said:
"The Ballon d'Or is not a reward for the player who scored the most goals. There is a different award for that."
Reading between the lines, one can clearly see that Lewandowski has already won the award for his numerous goals— the European Golden Shoe. Aside from his goal scoring record, there isn't much more the Polish can depend on in the race for this year's Ballon d'Or.