Lionel Messi beat Robert Lewandowski to the 2021 Ballon d’Or title by just 33 points after football figures the world over cast their vote for the globe’s best player.
Each nation was represented in the voting by the national team’s manager, captain, and a leading sports journalist nominated by the country’s association. They selected a top three with three points for the winner, two for second place, and one for third.
It led to Messi being awarded 613 points ahead of the 580 claimed by Lewandowski - a thin winning margin but by no means the smallest claimed by the Argentine superstar.
Messi beat Virgil van Dijk to the 2019 gong by just seven points while Kevin Keegan and Alfredo Di Stefano share the closest near-misses, finishing runner-up in 1972 and 1956 respectively while just three points behind - under previous voting systems.
Finishing third in Monday’s ceremony was Jorginho, who scored 460 points.
Karim Benzema came home fourth with 239 points ahead of Chelsea’s N’Golo Kante on 186.
Cristiano Ronaldo beat Mohamed Salah to sixth place and almost took Kante too, finishing on 178 points. Salah earned 121 points to Kevin De Bruyne’s 73, with 58 for Kylian Mbappe and 36 for tenth-placed Gianluigi Donnarumma.
Outside the top ten were Erling Haaland (33), Romelu Lukaku and Giorgio Chiellini - both with 26 but the Belgian officially ahead due to the weighting of his votes.
Leonardo Bonucci (18), Raheem Sterling (10), Neymar (nine), Luis Suarez, Simon Kjaer (both eight), Mason Mount and Riyad Mahrez (both seven) completed the top 20.
Bruno Fernandes and Lautaro Martinez (both six) shared 21st place ahead of Harry Kane (four), Pedri (three), Phil Foden (two) and the trio of Nicolo Barella, Ruben Dias and Gerard Moreno who all took home a single point.
Cesar Azpilicueta and Luka Modric did not receive any votes and finished tied for 29th.
Culled: The Standard
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