5 players on the 2021 Ballon d'Or shortlist who might not be nominated next year
The Ballon d'Or, hosted by France Football, returned in 2021 after a sabbatical last year due to the pandemic as fans worldwide tuned in for the ceremony. While Lionel Messi ended up winning the Ballon d'Or for a seventh time, there were 29 others named alongside him in the shortlist.
The 30-man shortlist features some of the best footballers from across the globe plying their trade in some of the most difficult leagues. The Ballon d'Or truly honors performances across all positions as the best players in all positions have found themselves on the prized 30-man shortlist.
Ballon d'Or 30 men shortlist 2022 - who can miss out?
While many among these 30 men have started 2021-22 from where they left off, a few have had disappointing starts to their respective campaigns.
Few have not been good enough, while others have been struck down with unfortunate injuries and bad patches of form. As such, they might face major hurdles in their pursuit of securing a place on next year's Ballon d'Or shortlist. Without further delay, let's take a look at five such players who may not be among the nominees next year:
#5 Romelu Lukaku
Romelu Lukaku had a thrilling 2020-21 season with Italian side Inter, where the club won Serie A. Lukaku scored 24 goals in the league to lead Inter from the front, largely due to his partnership with Lautaro Martinez. It followed with Lukaku making the dream return to Stamford Bridge with Chelsea in a club-record deal.
Our striker Romelu Lukaku is 12th in the Ballon d’or list. https://t.co/ra9YpM5xpX
Lukaku started well in the blue jersey and scored in the London derby to start his Chelsea goal tally. However, the Belgian's scoring dried up, and he, unfortunately, injured himself to make matters even more difficult.
He returned to action against Manchester United as a substitute but was unable to secure a win for his side as the game finished 1-1. Make no mistake, there is still plenty of time for Lukaku to rekindle his form. However, it remains unlikely that he will have enough goals in him to be in the running for the Ballon d'Or next year.
#4 Riyad Mahrez
Riyad Mahrez has been a superstar ever since he showcased his world-class ability in the title-winning campaign for Leicester. Since then, the Algerian has switched to Manchester City and has been a stunning player for Pep Guardiola's side. His superb form for the blue side in Manchester is the primary reason he finds himself on the 2021 Ballon d'Or shortlist.
Official: Riyad Mahrez is #20 in the Ballon D’Or rankings. ✅ https://t.co/JqsFKRkntF
Manchester City have a problem with the over-accumulation of world-class players, and Mahrez seems to have become a casualty of that. He has made only two starts in the Premier League so far despite being an excellent performer last term.
So far, he has been stellar in the Champions League. However, with relatively lesser matches and tougher opponents, it remains to be seen if he can hit the levels required to be in the running for the Ballon d'Or.
His exploits at the Africa Cup of Nations can revive his chances of being in the race for the Ballon d'Or. But at the moment, things look a bit bleak for Mahrez to make next year's Ballon d'Or 30-man shortlist.