Ballon d'Or 2021: The Main Contenders - Messi, Lewandowski, Benzema, Salah - Predicted Winner

The 2021 Ballon d'Or awards take place in Paris on Monday evening and we take a look at the main contenders and who the likely winner will be.

The last time the Ballon d'Or was held was in 2019 when Lionel Messi held off Virgil van Dijk and Cristiano Ronaldo to take the award. There was no Ballon d'Or awarded in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The six time Ballon d'Or winner is in the frame again to be crowned the best player on the planet.

For Barcelona, Messi contributed 38 goals and 18 assists in all competitions as they finished third in La Liga seven points behind Diego Simeone's Atletico Madrid who were Champions.

On the international stage, Messi's Argentina were victorious in the Copa America final when they ran out 1-0 winners against Brazil.

Bayern Munich's Polish striker Lewandowski enjoyed another prolific season where he contributed 48 goals and 12 assists across all competitions.

The Bundesliga side enjoyed a very successful campaign which saw them win the league, DFL-Supercup, UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup.

There is no stopping the 33 year old this season either who has already notched another 25 times.

Frenchman Benzema has been in sensational form for both Real Madrid and the national team after being recalled by manager Didier Deschamps.

It's been a tough year for Real Madrid but Benzema has led from the front scoring 30 goals and providing 12 assists last season.

He has also started the new campaign in fine form with another 16 goals and 12 assists.

Liverpool's Egyptian King is now being talked about amongst the elite and as possibly the best player in the world as things stand.

After hitting 31 goals in all competitions as Liverpool struggled during the last campaign, he already has 17 goals under his belt this season.

It is looking like Lionel Messi will be crowned Ballon d'Or for the seventh time in his illustrious career with Argentina's success at the Copa America being the deciding factor.

It is harsh on Lewandowski who has been nothing short of sensational for Bayern but him along with Benzema and Salah will all be in contention this time next year if they continue in their current vein of form.

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