Anticipation builds ahead of the 2021 Ballon d’Or award from French Football as COVID-19 disrupted the awards last year. The French Football has released its 30-man list for the 2021 edition with familiar names making the list this year again.
Chelsea’s midfield duo, N’Golo Kante and Jorginho are new names being tipped to win the award this year after a stellar year in top-flight football, particularly winning the Champion’s League. Jorginho also clinched Euro 2020 with the Italian National Team.
Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Robert Lewandowski, unsurprisingly make the list alongside youngsters like Kylian Mbappe, and Erling Haaland, with Barcelona’s Pedri Gonzalez making a dramatic inclusion.
The award ceremony is billed to hold in Paris, France on November 29, 2021. With the list now set, voting can commence as the race to the new best footballer begins. The voters will comprise of international sports journalists, national team coaches, and captained.
Poland and Bayern Munich’s Lewandowski was leading the pack to last year’s awards before it was canceled. Lionel Messi, the 2019 winner, and Ronaldo have shared 11 of the last 12 editions with only Luka Modric getting in between the duo in 2018.
2021 Ballon d’Or 30-man Shortlist (alphabetically)
Bruno Fernandes
Cesar Azpilicueta
Cristiano Ronaldo
Erling Haaland
Gerard Moreno
Gianluigi Donnarumma
Giorgio Chiellini
Harry Kane
Jorginho
Karim Benzema
Kevin De Bruyne
Kylian Mbappe
Lautaro Martinez
Leonardo Bonucci
Lionel Messi
Luis Suarez
Luka Modric
Mason Mount
Mohamed Salah
Neymar
N’Golo Kante
Nicolo Barella
Pedri
Phil Foden
Raheem Sterling
Riyad Mahrez
Robert Lewandowski
Romelu Lukaku
Ruben Dias
Simon Kjaer
The France Football also released a 10-man list for the Kopa Trophy for the best performing Under-21 player and the Yashin Trophy for the best goalkeeper.
Kopa Trophy shortlist: Bukayo Saka, Jude Bellingham, Mason Greenwood, Jeremy Doku, Ryan Gravenberch, Pedri, Jamal Musiala, Florian Wirtz, Nuno Mendes, Giovanni Reyna.
Yashin Trophy shortlist: Gianluigi Donnarumma, Ederson, Kasper Schmeichel, Edouard Mendy, Keylor Navas, Emiliano Martínez, Manuel Neuer, Jan Oblak, Samir Handanovic
On the other hand, the race is also on for the 2021 Ballon D’or Feminin with 20 nominees released so far. Unsurprisingly, the list has the likes of Vivianne Miedema, Sam Kerr, Pernille Harder, Fran Kirby, and Jennifer Hermoso. Here is the full list (alphabetically).
Alexia Putellas
Ashley Lawrence
Christiane Endler
Christine Sinclair
Ellen White
Fran Kirby
Irene Paredes
Jennifer Hermoso
Jessie Fleming
Kadidiatou Diani
Lieke Martens
Magdalena Eriksson
Marie-Antoinette Katoto
Pernille Harder
Sam Kerr
Samantha Mewis
Sandra Panos
Stina Blackstenius
Vivianne Miedema
Wendie Renard
