Ballon d’Or 2021: Top 5 favourites – March 2021
It may only be the beginning of March, but the battle for the 2021 Ballon d’Or is already heating up. A host of new faces have joined familiar names Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in the fray for the game’s highest individual honour.
After only two months of the year, it may seem premature to consider the winner of this year's Ballon d'Or award, which was last awarded in January 2020 to Barcelona’s Lionel Messi. But given it is effectively a six-month sprint to secure the biggest team titles, it is also a critical period for those seeking to win the Ballon d’Or award.
As such, the 2021 Ballon d'Or race is already one-third run. On that note, here are the five greatest contenders for the 2021 Ballon d’Or award,
#5 Lionel Messi (Barcelona/Argentina)
A winner of a record six Ballon d’Or titles, Lionel Messi, is still gracing the game and likely to win more individual and team accolades.
The odds, however, are much reduced this year, as Barcelona are off the pace in La Liga and face a miracle to qualify for the Champions League quarter-finals.
Lionel Messi is still playing at a very high level, but he is not the most likely to win the 2021 Ballon d'Or award. Nevertheless, against Sevilla in the Copa del Rey semi-finals, Messi and Barcelona roared back from a 2-0 first-leg deficit to qualify for the final.
There is, however, the prospect of winning the Ballon d'Or award off the back of his international performances. Argentina will seek to win their first Copa America since 1993 this summer. If Messi helps them achieve that, he will soar in the list of contenders for this year's Ballon d'Or award.
The problem, of course, is that so often, the six-time Ballon d'Or winner has failed to deliver a title for Argentina, a nation that has produced great individual players but rarely a great team. With such a mix of quality in their ranks, though, Messi and co should not be discounted to finally break their long title drought.
#4 Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus/Portugal)
Another of football’s grand old stagers, Cristiano Ronaldo (5), is only behind Lionel Messi for the most Ballon d'Or awards won by any player.
The five-time Ballon d'Or winner, though, is ambitious and will be eyeing number six this year to draw level with his arch-rival.
Both players still have the benefit of rampant popularity, which is always beneficial in a vote. But like Messi, Ronaldo finds himself at a club that is punching well below its weight.
Juventus are powering headlong into their most disappointing season in the last decade. They are a whopping ten points behind league leaders Inter in Serie A and 2-1 down against Porto in the Champions League Round of 16. That means major honours may elude Ronaldo this season.
But he does have an ace to play at Euro 2020 this summer. Portugal have one of the strongest squads in Europe and will fancy their chances of a successful title defence. If they are successful, Cristiano Ronaldo would likely climb up the list of contenders for this season's Ballon d'Or award.