AceFootball brings you all the details of the highly esteemed Ballon d’Or award ceremony for the year 2021 which will take place this month.
The Ballon d’Or ceremony will take place this year after being terminated in 2020 because of the global pandemic. Supporters and players alike are eagerly waiting for the prestigious individual award to be presented.
The shortlist of the 30 nominees has already been announced, with Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo competing for the chance to win their seventh and sixth, respectively. So, let’s take a look at all the details that you need to know ahead of the event.
Who are the nominees for Ballon d’Or 2021?
Here’s the list of 30 players fighting for the Men’s award, announced on October 8.
| Player | Club |
| Cesar Azpilicueta | Chelsea |
| Nicolo Barella | Inter Milan |
| Karim Benzema | Real Madrid |
| Leonardo Bonucci | Juventus |
| Giorgio Chiellini | Juventus |
| Kevin De Bruyne | Manchester City |
| Ruben Dias | Manchester City |
| Gianluigi Donnarumma | AC Milan & PSG |
| Bruno Fernandes | Manchester United |
| Phil Foden | Manchester City |
| Erling Haaland | Borussia Dortmund |
| Jorginho | Chelsea |
| Harry Kane | Tottenham |
| N’Golo Kante | Chelsea |
| Simon Kjaer | AC Milan |
| Robert Lewandowski | Bayern Munich |
| Romelu Lukaku | Inter & Chelsea |
| Riyad Mahrez | Manchester City |
| Lautaro Martinez | Inter Milan |
| Kylian Mbappe | PSG |
| Lionel Messi | Barcelona & PSG |
| Luka Modric | Real Madrid |
| Gerard Moreno | Villareal |
| Mason Mount | Chelsea |
| Neymar | PSG |
| Pedri | Barcelona |
| Cristiano Ronaldo | Juventus & Man Utd |
| Mohamed Salah | Liverpool |
| Raheem Sterling | Manchester City |
| Luis Suarez | Atletico Madrid |
When will Ballon d’Or 2021 take place?
The event is due on November 29, 2021, at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris, France. Alongside Ballon d’Or Men’s award, other prizes that will be given out are the Women’s Ballon d’Or, Kopa Trophy (best under-21 player), and the Yashin Trophy (best goalkeeper). The ceremony will be freely available to watch on L’Equipe’s YouTube channel.
Who are the favourites to win the award?
Regardless of a poor start to the season with PSG and a worrisome campaign with Barcelona, a substantial amount of votes are likely to go towards Lionel Messi. If we talk about individual stats, the 34-year-old netted 30 goals in La Liga and six in the Champions League. Moreover, we cannot forget that he helped Argentina lift their first-ever Copa America silverware during summer.
Had the award ceremony happened in 2020, the certified winner would come out in the name of Robert Lewandowski. The Bayern Munich striker has been impressive having landed the treble for his side and scoring 54 amazing goals in 48 appearances.
Another favourite would be Jorginho, who has enjoyed brimming success during this year. The 29-year-old aided Chelsea win the Champions League last season followed by the European Championship title with his national side, Italy.
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