2021 could be the most exciting year in the world of football in a long time. After the interrupted 2020, we returned to the normal course of things, and new champions were determined on the fields of Europe and South America. This means that predicting the winner of the Ballon d’Or will be more difficult than ever. But we will try.
And how do you think who will become the best football player this year? Who deserved it the most? Try to guess and make your bet. If you are interested in football betting, read more about it here.
Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City and Belgium)
The fact that only four players made more assists in Euro 2020 than Kevin De Bruyne, despite playing only 272 minutes – and not in his best physical condition – speaks volumes.
De Bruyne has recently established himself as one of the best playmakers in world football.
He was the best in City to win the Premier League title and reach the Champions League final this season, and Belgium only looked like a real Euro contender when the 30-year-old took to the pitch with Romelu Lukaku
They were defeated in the quarterfinals, but De Bruyne increased his chances for the Ballon d’Or with impressive personal results despite injury in the tournament.
Robert Lewandowski (Bayern & Poland)
No one has scored more goals in Europe’s top five leagues this year than Robert Lewandowski, who would almost certainly have won the Ballon d’Or in 2020 if it hadn’t been canceled due to Covid-19.
In 2021, the 32-year-old scored a goal every 61 minutes of Bundesliga matches.
By comparison, Messi’s score in La Liga is a goal every 79 minutes, while Portugal striker André Silva is the only player to break the 100-minute barrier.
These are, in fact, Lewandowski’s claims to the Ballon d’Or.
However, Bayern Munich were eliminated from the Champions League quarterfinals, and Poland failed to qualify for Euro 2020.
Lionel Messi (PSG and Argentina)
He is 34 and a free agent, but Lionel Messi appears to be leading the ball for the Ballon d’Or.
Despite his contractual situation at Barcelona, in 2021 Messi was good at both the club and the national team. This season, no one came close to his statistics in La Liga, and at Copa America he was the leader at all.
It is worth noting that Ronaldo, Messi’s longtime rival, is not in our top ten, despite the Serie A Golden Boot due to the lack of a major trophy with Juventus and Portugal. The same logic applies to Kylian Mbappe and Erling Holland.
There is also no room for Luis Suarez, however incredible his La Liga triumph with Atlético, because he failed to score in the Champions League and America’s Cup where Uruguay was eliminated in the quarterfinals.
