The Ballon d'Or is perhaps the most important individual award in modern football, honouring the best player from the previous year in the beautiful game. It's important to remember that the Ballon d'Or isn't the be-all and end-all of football. It is frequently skewed in favour of those that excel in the Champions League. Individual performances frequently take second place in the voting to media hype, huge occasions, and trophies won.
Since 2007, every Ballon dOr winner has either won the Champions League or been the tournament's top striker, and every winner has advanced to the semi-finals. Despite the lack of a clear standout, the international events this summer could be pivotal. While Lionel Messi and his teammates compete in Copa America, Europe's best compete in the European Championships.
10) Erling Braut Haaland
In the last two years, Erling Haaland has burst onto the scene, moving from a virtually obscure adolescent to one of the game's hottest assets. The Norwegian has been genuinely exceptional since joining Borussia Dortmund, netting 53 goals in 56 games across all competitions. With ten goals, Haaland is the top scorer in the Champions League in 2020/21. His principal claim to the prize will be this.
9) Phil Foden
For his team, the kid has put in numerous outstanding performances, scoring in both sets of the Champions League quarter-final against Borussia Dortmund and assisting Riyad Mahrez in the semi-finals. He has created a tremendous amount of hype as a young English star in a large team, which will aid his bid for the award.
8) Harry Kane
This season, the forward set new records, leading the Premier League in goals and assists with 21 and 13, respectively. This form has placed him among the front-runners for the PFA Player of the Year award. In addition, he was captaining his country into a tournament while in peak form.
7) Bruno Fernandes
He was one of only nine players in Europe's top five leagues to score double-digit goals and assist, and he had a magnificent game against Roma in the semi-finals at Old Trafford. He's in a situation that's comparable to Kane's.
6) Kevin De Bruyne
Only Kane has set up more goals for City than the Belgian, who has scored five goals and assisted 11 in their comfortable Premier League season. His Champions League performances, though, have been truly exceptional. The midfielder has three goals and four assists in seven appearances in Europe, including a goal in each round of the knockouts. He is regarded as Manchester City's top player.
5) Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo, at the age of 36, remains one of the top players in the game. However, if he wants to win his sixth Ballon d'Or, he still has a long way to go. He had a dismal Champions League season by his extraordinary standards, failing to score against Porto in the round of 16 as Juventus were eliminated.
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4) Ruben Dias
For Man City, Dias has been a massive presence at the back. But it's not just at home that he's been outstanding. He has put in some outstanding performances in the Champions League, keeping the likes of Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappe, and Neymar quiet.
3) Robert Lewandowski
Lewandowski scored 41 times in 29 games for Bayern. That broke Gerd Mueller’s record. Then again if he does well with Poland in Euro, he might just have a chance.
2) Lionel Messi
He's scored 36 goals in all competitions, including a hat trick in the Copa del Rey final, and has 12 assists. That's not even taking into account the insane amount of work he puts in outside of goal contributions. Now, a strong showing in the Copa could be enough to seal the deal.
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1) Kylian Mbappe
As previously said, people that excel in the Champions League are frequently favoured to win the reward. That's exactly what the quick forward did. He'll be expected to keep this form going into Euro 2020. In 2018, he was one of the World Cup's biggest performers, receiving Young Player of the Tournament and scoring in the final to help France win the tournament. If they replicate this achievement, he will undoubtedly win the honour. Hype? Check. What are the big moments? Check. Goals? Check. Is there a good chance you'll be a star at Euro 2020? Check. Mbappe is currently dominating the race for the Ballon d'Or.
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Honorable Mentions:
Neymar, Antoine Griezmann, Romelu Lukaku
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