Ballon d'Or Power Rankings: January 2021
The Ballon d'Or is expected to be back this term after last year's absence and the usual suspects are expected to be given a run for their money this time around.
Widely viewed as the most prestigious individual accolade in the history of the beautiful game, the Ballon d'Or which is awarded by the France Football magazine is decided by a combination of votes from journalists, national team captains and coaches in world football.
The Ballon d'Or award was cancelled last year in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. 2019-20 was a season that was heavily disrupted but the 2020-21 season has been going without any hitches so far.
It has been packed with surprises though. One look at the state of the points table of the European top-flight leagues will confirm the same. Here, we rank the best performing individuals in Europe.
Honorable mentions: Erling Haaland and Neymar Jr.
While Erling Haaland continues to impress one and all with his natural finishing ability and maturity, Neymar Jr. has continued to exude class and has been Paris Saint-Germain's standout performer in the UEFA Champions League.
Haaland has 27 goals from 23 appearances across all competitions this term while Neymar has 12 goals and three assists from 18. Both of them remain on the periphery of our list and could break into the top ten if they can keep it up.
#10 Son Heung-Min
The Tottenham Hotspur forward Son Heung-Min has truly come to his own over the past few seasons and we are seeing the best of him this term. Partnered with Harry Kane uptop by Jose Mourinho, the South Korean international has been turning in excellent performances for the Lilywhites.
The 28-year-old who loves to operate down the left flank has been very productive this term and has chipped in with goals and assists aplenty as Spurs got off to a flying start to the season. They have stuttered a bit since but Son Heung-Min continues to be a force to be reckoned with and a constant pain in the neck of opposition defenders.
Son has 15 goals and seven assists from 25 appearances across all competitions this season. His exploits in the Premier League have been quite extraordinary having scored 12 goals and set up another six from across 18 appearances.
#9 Kevin De Bruyne
Kevin De Bruyne did take a while to kick into gear in the new season but the Belgian hitting his stride has been fundamental to Manchester City's title charge this term. The master playmaker has been pulling the strings from midfield to great effect.
There were apprehensions about how he would cope in the absence of his midfield partner David Silva who left the club after a decade of impeccable service to the Etihad outfit. However, KDB has proven that he can keep things ticking even with a change in the personnel around him.
While his goalscoring returns have diminished from last season, the 29-year-old has been outstanding in providing service to his attackers and has racked up a total of 17 assists for both club and country this season from across 27 appearances. KDB has also scored four goals as well.
#8 Romelu Lukaku
Romelu Lukaku wasn't a great fit for Manchester United and all parties are in agreement to that. But he is exactly the kind of attacker that Antonio Conte adores and he is absolutely thriving at Inter Milan.
After a highly productive 2019-20 season, Romelu Lukaku has kicked on in the same vein and has been immense for the Nerazzurri this term. He has scored 23 goals from 30 appearances for both club and country across all competitions so far this term and has been at his belligerent best once again.
The Belgian has also racked up four assists in that time and is one of the deadliest strikers in Europe right now.