Lionel Messi beats Lewandowski and Jorginho to 2021 Ballon d’Or as Argentine clinches record seventh award
The 2021 Ballon d’Or ceremony took place today with Lionel Messi beating Robert Lewandowski and Jorginho for men’s award as Alexia Putellas chased women’s prize.
Lionel Messi was expected to collect his seventh Ballon d’Or award at a glittering 2021 ceremony in Paris this evening. Messi was the favourite after winning the Copa America with Argentina earlier this year, despite one of his less impressive years at club level.
He helped Barcelona finished third in La Liga and fell in the first knockout round of the Champions League. However, Messi scored two goals as Barca won the Copa del Rey final and he was La Liga’s top goalscorer once more, before switching to Paris Saint-Germain in the summer.
Robert Lewandowski was widely expected to win last year’s award before it was cancelled due to the pandemic, and the Bayern Munich striker was in the running once again. Chelsea’s Jorginho was another candidate, having won the Champions League with his club and Euro 2020 with his country Italy a couple of months later.
Barcelona’s Alexia Putellas and Arsenal’s Vivianne Miedema led the charge for the women’s award. Putellas scored in the final as the all-conquering Barca won the Champions League, while Miedema was both Netherlands and Women’s Super League all-time leading goalscorer and racked up goals at the Olympic Games.
Spain’s Pedri was expected to win the Kopa Trophy for the best men’s young player, while Chelsea’s Edouard Mendy and PSG’s Gianluigi Donnarumma led the running for the men’s goalkeeper award, the Yashin Trophy.
After the ceremony, Lionel Messi won the men’s 2021 Ballon d’Or, and a record seventh trophy, at an awards ceremony on Monday evening.
Messi, 34, held off the challenge of Bayern Munich’s Robert Lewandowski, Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema and Chelsea’s Jorginho to collect the prize and move two clear in his long-running battle with five-time winner Cristiano Ronaldo, who was among the 30 players shortlisted but did not feature in the top three for the first time in 11 years.
Ballon d’Or 2021: Chelsea win Club of the Year
Chelsea was announced as Club of the Year – comprising the achievements of both their men’s and women’s team.
Emma Hayes was there as manager of the Women’s team and made the point she hopes the team can be there in future – it’s the international break for women’s football so they are unable to be present.
Thomas Tuchel was also in attendance and praises the achievements of his side, the women’s team – WSL winners – and the academy sides, too.
