Ballon d'Or: Lionel Messi wins award as best player in world football for seventh time

[MenInG]

Chelsea's Jorginho, Paris St-Germain's Lionel Messi and and Bayern Munich's Robert Lewandowski are on the shortlist for the men's Ballon d'Or award.

Messi was the 2019 winner for a record sixth time.

The forward picked up a first major international title when he helped Argentina win the 2021 Copa America.

Italy midfielder Jorginho helped Chelsea win the Champions League last season before victory at Euro 2020 with his country in the summer.

Poland striker Lewandowski won the 2020-21 European Golden Shoe, having scored 41 Bundesliga goals as Bayern Munich won the German league title last season.

Women's Ballon d'Or: Ellen White and Fran Kirby on shortlist
There are 14 Premier League players on the 30-man 2021 shortlist and five members of Italy's European Championship-winning squad.

The Ballon d'Or, organised by France Football, is awarded annually to the world's best footballer.

The prize was not given out in 2020 - for the first time since 1956 - because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The winner of the award will be announced on 29 November at Paris' Theatre du Chatelet.

England's Jude Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund), Mason Greenwood (Manchester United) and Bakayo Saka (Arsenal) are among the 10 nominees for the Kopa Trophy, which is for players under the age of 21.

The Yashin Trophy is for the best goalkeeper and the four Premier League players on the 10-man shortlist are Chelsea and Senegal's Edouard Mendy, Manchester City's Brazilian Ederson, Leicester City's Kasper Schmeichel, of Denmark, and Aston Villa's Argentine Emiliano Martinez.

Ballon d'Or nominees

Cesar Azpilicueta (Chelsea, Spain)

Nicolo Barella (Inter Milan, Italy)

Karim Benzema (Real Madrid, France)

Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus, Italy)

Kevin de Bruyne (Manchester City, Belgium)

Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus, Italy)

Ruben Dias (Manchester City, Portugal)

Gianluigi Donnarumma (PSG, Italy)

Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United, Portugal)

Phil Foden (Manchester City, England)

Erling Braut Haaland (Borussia Dortmund, Norway)

Jorginho (Chelsea, Italy)

Harry Kane (Tottenham, England)

N'Golo Kante (Chelsea, France)

Simon Kjaer (AC Milan, Denmark)

Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich, Poland)

Romelu Lukaku (Chelsea, Belgium)

Riyad Mahrez (Manchester City, Algeria)

Lautaro Martinez (Inter Milan, Argentina)

Kylian Mbappe (PSG, France)

Lionel Messi (PSG, Argentina)

Luka Modric (Real Madrid, Croatia)

Gerard Moreno (Villarreal, Spain)

Mason Mount (Chelsea, England)

Neymar (PSG, Brazil)

Pedri (Barcelona, Spain)

Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United, Portugal)

Mohamed Salah (Liverpool, Egypt)

Raheem Sterling (Manchester City, England)

Luis Suarez (Atletico Madrid, Uruguay)

What is the Ballon d'Or?

The Ballon d'Or has been awarded by France Football every year since 1956, with England's Stanley Matthews the first winner.

It was only for European players until 1995, when it expanded to become open for any player at a European club. From 2007 it opened up to the rest of the world.

The 30-man list of nominees is compiled by the editorial staff of the French magazine, with the winner voted for by journalists from around the world, with one representative per nation.

From 2010 to 2015 it merged with Fifa's awards, but they split and the world governing body set up its own awards again in 2016.


https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/58849106

 

[SpiritOf1903]

Man City buy a striker ≠ Lewandowski

 

[Firebat]

Toss up between Messi and Lewandowski. Might go to the latter due to his Bundesliga record-breaking, but I would be fine with either. However, there is absolutely 0% chance that Jorginho is the best player on the planet.

 

[Saj]

Lionel Messi has won the men's Ballon d'Or for a record seventh time.

Messi, who left Barcelona as a free agent to sign for Paris Saint-Germain in the summer, was presented with the award for best men's footballer in the world on Monday night in Paris after another record-breaking 12 months for club and country.

In July, the 34-year-old ended his long wait for a major international trophy by winning the Copa America with Argentina as they beat hosts Brazil in the final.

 

[Firebat]

"I'm really proud to win the France Football Ballon d'Or once again," said Messi. "It's incredible to win it for the seventh time. I would like to thank my family, my friends and all the people who follow me and always support me, because without them I couldn't have done it".

 

[Firebat]

Messi ahead of the pack with 7 Ballon D'Or's. Greatest of all time.

 

[IMMY69]

I can't take this award seriously.

Whether Messi deserved it or not the prize is decided by around 170 football journalists and Messi would have the entire South American, Spanish and now the French contingent voting for him.

 

[Azzurri]

Useless award. Lewandoski deserved it

 

[Waleed93]

This year's, and last year's winner was supposed to be Lewandoski.

Messi had a great year, but Lewandoski over the last 2 years has just been on another level, and France Football are robbing him for the 2nd consecutive year.

Imagine being the first player to score 65+ goals in a calendar year since 2013, and still not winning the supposed most prestigious football award of the planet.

With all due respect to Messi, who for me is one of the 2 greatest players to have ever played the game, this year's Balon d'Or is just a joke and can't be taken seriously. Of course, he has won it and he doesn't have anything to do with this robbery, but you can't lie about the fact that he has been below average since June 2021. He won the Copa America, and since then, has been well below his usual standards and his numbers show that.

However, 2 things worked for him: his first international triumph with Argentina where he was exceptional, and secondly, and perhaps more importantly, his PR team and his brand. If his name wasn't Lionel Messi, then even the Copa America would not have been enough to win the Balon d'Or.

To put this in another way, give Lewandoski's stats to Ronaldo, and sweeps every single individual award.

The most disrespectful thing however was the fact that France Football created a last minute "best goalscorer of the year" award to console him. That clearly meant "Man, you've been fantastic throughout the last 2 years and we have to give you something for that, but not the Ballon d'Or".

 

[shaz619]

This year's, and last year's winner was supposed to be Lewandoski.

Messi had a great year, but Lewandoski over the last 2 years has just been on another level, and France Football are robbing him for the 2nd consecutive year.

Imagine being the first player to score 65+ goals in a calendar year since 2013, and still not winning the supposed most prestigious football award of the planet.

With all due respect to Messi, who for me is one of the 2 greatest players to have ever played the game, this year's Balon d'Or is just a joke and can't be taken seriously. Of course, he has won it and he doesn't have anything to do with this robbery, but you can't lie about the fact that he has been below average since June 2021. He won the Copa America, and since then, has been well below his usual standards and his numbers show that.

However, 2 things worked for him: his first international triumph with Argentina where he was exceptional, and secondly, and perhaps more importantly, his PR team and his brand. If his name wasn't Lionel Messi, then even the Copa America would not have been enough to win the Balon d'Or.

To put this in another way, give Lewandoski's stats to Ronaldo, and sweeps every single individual award.

The most disrespectful thing however was the fact that France Football created a last minute "best goalscorer of the year" award to console him. That clearly meant "Man, you've been fantastic throughout the last 2 years and we have to give you something for that, but not the Ballon d'Or".

Agree with this totally, they are devaluing the award with such charitable efforts towards Messi, out of the world’s best he needs to do the least to win and that’s not taking shine of the copa triumph but just how it is.

 

[dildilpak]

This year's, and last year's winner was supposed to be Lewandoski.

Messi had a great year, but Lewandoski over the last 2 years has just been on another level, and France Football are robbing him for the 2nd consecutive year.

Imagine being the first player to score 65+ goals in a calendar year since 2013, and still not winning the supposed most prestigious football award of the planet.

With all due respect to Messi, who for me is one of the 2 greatest players to have ever played the game, this year's Balon d'Or is just a joke and can't be taken seriously. Of course, he has won it and he doesn't have anything to do with this robbery, but you can't lie about the fact that he has been below average since June 2021. He won the Copa America, and since then, has been well below his usual standards and his numbers show that.

However, 2 things worked for him: his first international triumph with Argentina where he was exceptional, and secondly, and perhaps more importantly, his PR team and his brand. If his name wasn't Lionel Messi, then even the Copa America would not have been enough to win the Balon d'Or.

To put this in another way, give Lewandoski's stats to Ronaldo, and sweeps every single individual award.

The most disrespectful thing however was the fact that France Football created a last minute "best goalscorer of the year" award to console him. That clearly meant "Man, you've been fantastic throughout the last 2 years and we have to give you something for that, but not the Ballon d'Or".

Totally agree. As much as i am a Messi fan, no shame in admitting that this is pretty unfair to Lewandoski. Winning Copa is not the only important thing out there.

 

[James]

It's not really a credible award if the same player has won it so many times. Implies voting bias.

 

[Firebat]

Ballon d'Or: France Football make changes to rules around judging

The Ballon d'Or awards given to the world's best male and female footballer will now be judged on performances over a season and not a calendar year.

France Football magazine - organisers of the prestigious award - have also decided to reduce the number of judges.

A panel of 170 journalists will be cut to 100 for the men's award, while the women's panel will contain 50 judges.

France Football's Pascal Ferre said: "Before we were judging based on two half seasons. This will be clearer."

"It's an opportunity to give it a new impetus," the France Football editor added.

The changes announced follow criticism for the choice of Paris St-Germain striker Lionel Messi as Ballon d'Or winner in 2021, when voices across football felt Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski deserved the honour.

Messi won the famous trophy for a record seventh time but Lewandowski - who finished second - had scored 41 Bundesliga goals in the 2020-21 season as he helped Bayern win a ninth consecutive league title.

Ferre said more emphasis will also be placed on the performances of individual players rather than on trophies won by a player's team.

The change to the number of judges used will see 100 journalists from the highest ranked countries in men's football used and 50 from the top-ranked women's nations.

On its official Twitter account, France Football described the move as "less global but… much more demanding".

The next Ballon d'Or awards will take place September or October 2022 and will be based on the season that ended in July with the women's Euro 2022.

The men's World Cup - which takes place in Qatar in November and December - will not be considered by judges until the 2023 awards.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/60715554

 

[James]

<b>Karim Benzema: Should Real Madrid striker win Ballon d'Or?</b>

Karim Benzema seems to be the overwhelming favourite to win the Ballon d'Or after Real Madrid's Champions League victory - so is this the French veteran's finest hour?

The 34-year-old, who scored 44 goals in 46 games this season, would become the second-oldest player to win it after Blackpool's Stanley Matthews, who was 41 when he won the first ever award in 1956.

Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois was man of the match in Paris and Vinicius Jr scored the only goal in the 1-0 win over Liverpool.

It was a rare quiet night for Benzema - who had a goal disallowed for offside - in a brilliant season.

"Of course," Benzema told Canal Plus if he was thinking about the Ballon d'Or - the prize organised by France Football which is awarded annually to the world's best footballer.

"Now I will join up with the national team but I don't think I can do much more with my club. We will see what happens, but in any case I am proud of what I have done."

He added: "Let's see what happens. I have trophies and I have nothing else [to prove] on the pitch. The important thing is to enjoy it."

France legend Thierry Henry, speaking on American television, said:

"I just want to say something to France Football or whoever is watching - close the votes. Benzema won it. Bye."

So how good has Benzema been, who usually wins the Ballon d'Or and what would this mean?

There is one quite simple argument for Benzema to win the 2022 Ballon d'Or on 17 October - he has been the star player for the best team in Europe.

Real Madrid won La Liga and the Champions League - and Benzema won the Golden Boot in both.

He scored 27 league goals, nine clear of anyone else, and 15 Champions League goals - one every 74 minutes.

Benzema was a clutch player too, with 10 of those 15 goals coming in the knockout stages alone - a joint record in a season.

He netted a hat-trick at home against Paris St-Germain and another at Chelsea in the next round - plus the winner against Manchester City in the semis.

"The argument is over for the Ballon d'Or," said former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand on BT Sport. "If Benzema doesn't get it, that will be a travesty."

Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti said: "We are dependent on Benzema. Karim is a modern forward and [does] what is required of strikers - everything, including defensive work.

"He is the perfect representation of what a centre-forward should be in today's football."

Benzema's two top-scorer trophies this season were his first since the 2007-08 Ligue 1 Golden Boot, when he scored 20 goals for champions Lyon as a 20-year-old.

He has experienced a huge career revival since Cristiano Ronaldo's departure from Real in 2018.
Benzema’s role in that team was largely to help Ronaldo score, but he has come into his own since Ronaldo left for Juventus, becoming the star forward himself.

In Ronaldo's final two seasons at Real, Benzema scored 11 and five La Liga goals respectively.
In the following four years he has averaged 23 league goals a season, on Saturday won his fifth Champions League, and after a six-year exile from the France team he returned last year to score nine goals in 13 games for Les Bleus.

However, it has all come amid the backdrop of a scandal which stunned the football community in France.

In November 2021, Benzema was found guilty of conspiring to blackmail former France team-mate Mathieu Valbuena with a sex tape.

A judge gave Benzema a one-year suspended jail term and ordered him to pay a fine of 75,000 euros (£63,000).


<b>Who usually wins the Ballon d'Or?</b>

Before Saturday's game people speculated the winner of the Champions League final could decide the winner of the Ballon d'Or.

Liverpool's Sadio Mane won the Africa Cup of Nations with Senegal - and Mohamed Salah won a third Premier League Golden Boot.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp was asked before the match if the winner of the final could scoop the individual trophy.

"When you think about how these type of competitions are decided the answer is probably yes," he said.

"You are either Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi or you won the Champions League final. That is the way it goes. That's how it was in the last few years. It will increase the chances definitely."

Klopp is not wrong. You have to go back to 2006 and World Cup winner Fabio Cannavaro for the last time the Ballon d'Or was awarded to someone other than Messi, Ronaldo or a Champions League winner.

Admittedly Kaka in 2007, and Luka Modric in 2018, were the only players apart from the big two to win in that time.

It was widely believed Robert Lewandowski, who won the 2019-20 treble with Bayern Munich, would have won in 2020 but the award was cancelled because of Covid.


<b>What would this mean?</b>

Benzema has been nominated several times - and will certainly be on the shortlist announced on 12 August - but he has never finished in the top three.

He would become the first Frenchman since Zinedine Zidane - Benzema's former manager at Real Madrid - in 1998 to win.

BBC Sport went to Benzema's hometown of Bron in Lyon before the game to talk to some of his childhood friends.

Farouk said Benzema, whose parents are both Algerian, gives "hope for the youth" for people who share his background.

"Now everyone thinks they can make it as footballer, or at least make their dreams come true," he said.

"In Bron we support Real Madrid 100%, we watch all the matches. When Real Madrid are playing everyone is watching.

"When he can come to Lyon or Bron he'll visit and play a five-a-side with us older guys, and when the kids see him, he'll stop and speak to them.

"I would say that he has inspired many in Terraillon [a neighbourhood in Bron].

"We're proud of him. We have one dream here - and that is that he wins the Ballon d'Or and we wish him all the best in the world."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/61624319

 

[Waleed93]

The undisputed best player in the world.

No one deserves it more than him.

Even if we had lost the final, there is no way someone with a proper brain would have said that Mane or Salah deserve it more than Karim.