Ballon d’Or 2020: Top 3 contenders if the award was given
WhatsApp Image 2020 08 19 at 12.14.06 PM
It will be the first time that the trophy given for the world’s best men’s footballer will not be awarded since Englishman Stanley Matthews won the inaugural edition in 1956. The awarding of the Ballon d’Or has become one of the biggest nights in the footballing calendar. Many players see winning the prize as the pinnacle of excellence in the sport.
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have dominated the award in the 21st century, winning it 11 times between them in the last 12 years. Messi is the current holder of the award after claiming his sixth Ballon d’Or back in December. The Argentine star will now continue his defence through to 2021. The two all-time greats (Ronaldo & Messi) were expected to come into contention again in 2020, along with the likes of Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski and Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne.
France Football announced the Ballon d’Or would not be awarded in 2020 due to the Coronavirus pandemic. They cancelled the award for this season citing a lack of sufficient fair conditions across the sport owing to the coronavirus pandemic. They also added that they were looking forward to holding a ceremony in 2021. This year France Football is looking to organise a vote for the all-time greatest men’s XI.
The COVID-19 outbreak saw all major football leagues shut down in March. The German Bundesliga became the first to resume behind closed doors in May. France Football said it would be unfair to vote on the world’s best player when some leagues, including the French Ligue 1, cancelled their seasons early. France Football also suggested that it would not be right to judge players based on games played without spectators.
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3. Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus)
The Juventus winger has scored 48 goals and assisted 5 times in all competitions in 2020.
Ronaldo had scored in almost every one of Juventus’ Serie A matches in 2020 as they march almost unopposed towards another Scudetto. Ronaldo had an extremely prolific season in front of goal in Serie A. He has also left behind Ciro Immobile in the race for the Italian’s league top scorer award scoring 31 goals in 33 appearances.
Juventus’ failure to win the Copa Italia and losing against Lyon in their Champions League last-16 tie has certainly not allowed Ronaldo to be in the top of the list for securing his sixth Ballon d’or.
2. Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
The Barca talisman has scored 33 goals and assisted 26 times in all competitions in 2020.
Messi has been the top goal scorer in La Liga in 2020 scoring 25 goals in 33 appearances. He also has most assists to his name in La Liga. Messi also passed Xavi to claim the most La Liga assist record with an assist of 21 times in just 33 appearances. The figures are more than any other player in La Liga ever.
The Ballon d’Or holder’s chances of claiming a seventh prize were hit by both Barcelona’s failure to win La Liga. Their devastating performance in the Champions League quarter-final losing by 8-2 to Bayern, didn’t help either.
Barcelona’s poor results against many teams in the La Liga have also had an effect on Messi’s chances to win the Ballon d’Or. Messi’s poor record against teams in the top half of the League table is also seen as a major reason behind Barca’s struggles.
1. Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
The Polish Striker has scored 60 goals and assisted 11 times in all competitions in 2020.
No player can feel more hard done by when it comes to the decision to cancel the Ballon d’Or than Lewandowski.
Lewandowski has been the Bundesliga’s all-time leading foreign-born goal scorer. He has been finding the net with incredible regularity since arriving in Germany in 2010. Lewa has scored once every 109 Bundesliga minutes over the last decade.
Bayern’s prolific Pole has just enjoyed his best-ever Bundesliga season. The Polish International has single-handedly scored a record 34 goals in 31 appearances to win his fifth Torjägerkanone. He has also led his club’s canter to an eighth successive league title, also netting twice to help them lift the DFB Cup. The Poland international has been in blistering form in 2020, having fired Bayern to a domestic double.
Lewandowski’s six goals in the DFB Cup made him the leading scorer in the competition. He has scored 14 goals and assisted 5 times on Bayern’s march to the UEFA Champions League semi-finals.
Bayern won through to the last four in the Champions League after a jaw-dropping 8-2 smashing of Messi’s Barcelona in which Lewandowski bagged one. Bayern are in a run to win the competition for a sixth time to complete their second-ever continental treble. If Lewandowski continues to score for Bayern at the same rate as now then he certainly has a Ballon d’or at his grasp.
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FS Desk
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