Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo lead the way in Ballon d’Or nominees; Giovanni Reyna up for youth prize

It’s that point of 12 months once more the place battle strains are drawn within the everlasting debate between Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and the sector. The 30-man shortlist for the Ballon d’Or has been launched. The inevitable arguments over GOAT standing can start once more.

Messi and Ronaldo are among the many names on the shortlist for the prize, awarded yearly by journal France Soccer to the most effective males’s participant on this planet. Nevertheless, it’s only the previous that ranks among the many favorites for the prize — which was not awarded in 2020 as a result of COVID-19 pandemic — after a 12 months wherein he ended his watch for worldwide silverware by profitable the Copa America with Argentina. At membership stage, he was unable to pull Barcelona to a different La Liga title or Champions League success however did present 30 league targets in his ultimate season in Catalunya earlier than shifting to Paris Saint-Germain.

His possible rivals for the prize are Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski, who broke Gerd Muller’s 49-year-old Bundesliga scoring file with 41 targets for the German champions, and Chelsea midfield duo N’Golo Kante and Jorginho. These two had been the heartbeat of the Blues’ Champions League profitable facet earlier than the latter repeated the trick with Italy at Euro 2020. The Blues have 5 nominees for the prize with Cesar Azpilicueta, Mason Mount and summer time signing Romelu Lukaku additionally on the lengthy record. That tally is matched by Manchester Metropolis, whose representatives are Ruben Dias, Phil Foden, Kevin De Bruyne, Riyad Mahrez and Raheem Sterling.

Ronaldo, thought of one of many darkish horses for the prize, is one among two nominees from the crimson half of Manchester together with Bruno Fernandes. In complete the Premier League make up practically half of the 30 with 14 gamers on the record. It’s a related story of dominance from the English sport within the Yaschine Trophy for greatest goalkeeper the place Ederson, Kasper Schmeichel, Edouard Mendy and Emiliano Martinez shall be vying with six goalkeepers from the European leagues.

In the meantime United States worldwide Giovanni Reyna is one among 10 gamers nominated for the Kopa Trophy, awarded to the excellent participant beneath the age of 21. Three of these nominees are English — Jude Bellingham, Mason Greenwood and Bukayo Saka — whereas Germany have two in Jamal Musiala and Florian Wirtz.

Reyna is the second American to be nominated for the prize since its inauguration in 2018. That 12 months Christian Pulisic completed behind Kylian Mbappe within the voting.

The winners shall be introduced in Paris on Nov. 29.

Ballon d’Or nominees

Cesar Azpilicueta (Chelsea, Spain); Nicolo Barella (Inter Milan, Italy); Karim Benzema (Actual Madrid, France); Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus, Italy); Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester Metropolis, Belgium); Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus, Italy); Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus/Manchester United, Portugal); Ruben Dias (Manchester Metropolis, Portugal); Gianluigi Donnarumma (AC Milan/Paris Saint-Germain, Italy); Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United, Portugal); Phil Foden (Manchester Metropolis, England); Erling 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 (Inter Milan/Chelsea, Belgium); Riyad Mahrez (Manchester Metropolis, Algeria); Lautaro Martinez (Inter Milan, Argentina); Kylian Mbappe (PSG, France); Lionel Messi (Barcelona/PSG, Argentina); Luka Modric (Actual Madrid, Croatia); Gerard Moreno (Villarreal, Spain); Mason Mount (Chelsea, England); Neymar (PSG, Brazil); Pedri (Barcelona, Spain); Mohamed Salah (Liverpool, Egypt); Raheem Sterling (Manchester Metropolis, England); Luis Suarez (Atletico Madrid, Uruguay).

Kopa Trophy nominees

Jude Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund, England); Jeremy Doku (Rennes, Belgium), Ryan Gravenberch (Ajax, Netherlands); Mason Greenwood (Manchester United, England); Nuno Mendes (Sporting/PSG, Portugal), Jamal Musiala (Bayern Munich, Germany); Pedri (Barcelona, Spain); Gio Reyna (Borussia Dortmund, USA); Bukayo Saka (Arsenal, England), Florian Wirtz (Bayer Leverkusen, Germany).

Yaschine Trophy nominees

Thibaut Courtois (Actual Madrid, Belgium); Gianluigi Donnarumma (AC Milan/PSG, Italy); Ederson (Manchester Metropolis, Brazil); Samir Handanovic (Inter Milan, Slovenia); Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa, Argentina); Edouard Mendy (Chelsea, Senegal); Keylor Navas (PSG, Costa Rica); Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich, Germany); Jan Oblak (Atletico Madrid, Slovenia); Kasper Schmeichel (Leicester Metropolis, Denmark).