Paris Saint-Germain Argentine star Lionel Messi has emerged the winner of the 2021 Ballon d’Or award, claiming a record-extending seventh title.
Messi, who left Barcelona as a free agent to sign for Paris Saint-Germain in the summer, was presented with the award on Monday night in Paris after another record-breaking 12 months for club and country.
The PSG forward was the previous winner of the award in 2019 as last year’s edition was cancelled because of Covid. Messi also won the Ballon d’Or in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2015.
The Argentine beat Bayern Munich Polish striker Robert Lewandowski who was the favourite to win the 2020 edition of the Ballon d’Or.
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Jorginho came third having won the UEFA Champions League with Chelsea and UEFA Euro 2020 with Italy as Real Madrid and France’s Karim Benzema came fourth while N’Golo Kante was in fifth place.
Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo finished sixth, with Mohamed Salah, Kevin de Bruyne, Kylian Mbappe and Gianluigi Donnarumma occupying seventh, eight, ninth and tenth respectively.
Lewandowski was crowned Striker of the Year for his incredible scoring feats while Chelsea took the other new title of Best Club after their Champions League triumph.
Barcelona’s Alexia Putellas received the Ballon d’Or award in the women’s category with Barca starlet Pedri going home with the Kopa trophy for the best U-21 player.
And Donnarumma took the Yashin award for best goalkeeper after winning UEFA Euro 2020 with Italy before leaving AC Milan.
2021 Ballon d’Or award results:
Ballon d’Or (best male player in the world): Lionel Messi
Ballon d’Or Féminin (best female player in the world): Alexia Putellas
Team of the year: Chelsea
Striker of the year: Robert Lewandowski
Yashin Trophy (best goalkeeper in the world): Gianluigi Donnarumma
Kopa Trophy (best player in the world under the age of 21): Pedri
7 Comments
Honestly this award should have been for Jorginho or Lewandoski.
You are right about that. Messi don’t deserve it.
Political Beasts….
The plan was already labelled by claiming that Covid-19 halted last year’s own!!
Ballond’or Power Cult.
But why is so difficult for a goalkeeper or defensive midfielders to share this spotlight made by corrupted group of sponsors and business patrons????
No wonder the Super league grew a passionate embryo.
Lord have Messi!
It must have been really close between Messi and Lewandowski. Most observers including myself expected the latter to get the honour this time. But winning the Copa America was likely the deciding factor in favor of La Pulga.
Jorginho won champions league, European Nations cup, European Super cup. So in fairness Messi does not deserve it.
Day light robbery
This will probably go down as the most unjustified Ballon d’Or ever awarded in history. At least three other players deserved the award a lot more than Messi this time. Almost a repeat of the 2018 FIFA World Cup MVP that was awarded to the same Messi.
I’m sure even Messi is inwardly ashamed of this award as he knows that he doesn’t deserve it this time. If anything, this award devalues the previous awards won by Messi as its sends a message that he’d always been unduly favored over other players, even though his talent and greatness as a footballer can never be in doubt.