Around 30 names have been shortlisted for the Ballon d'Or award. Last year the prestigious award was canceled due to the pandemic but this year, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are again in the running for the highest honor in the world of Soccer. Lionel Messi has bagged the award six times while Ronaldo has won it one fewer time. The favorites face serious competition this time from the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Neymar, Karim Benzema, Jorginho, and N'Golo Kante. Messi’s teammates Mbappe and Neymar played a huge role in pushing PSG to the last four stages in the Champions League.
Jorginho played a big role in Chelsea’s CL title run and later was a key part of the Italian squad who which the Euro 2020. Kante was the man of the match in CL’s semifinal and final match. From Bundesliga, Bayern Munich's Robert Lewandowski, the golden boot winner of last season and Dortmund's Erling Braut Haaland are also on the list.