After being cancelled in 2020, the Ballon d'Or is back, with the great and good of the football world again eyeing the biggest individual honour the game has to offer.<br /><br />The prize will not be handed out until December, meaning that players can still make their cases to succeed 2019 winner Lionel Messi over the coming months, despite most of the major club and international silverware having been won already.<br /><br />So, by using the performances of the contenders so far, as well as predictions of what is likely still to come in 2021, who holds the most power in this year's race?<br /><br />Goal ranks the runners and riders...:<br /><br />20. Nicolo Barella (Inter)<br />Last time: NEW ENTRY<br />In 2021: Five goals, 11 assists. Won Serie A & Euro 2020.<br /><br />19. Pedri (Barcelona)<br />Last time: 19th<br />In 2021: Three goals, six assists. Won Copa del Rey & Olympic silver medal.<br /><br />18. Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United)<br />Last time: NEW ENTRY<br />In 2021: 21 goals, 10 assists.<br /><br />17. Mason Mount (Chelsea)<br />Last time: 17th<br />In 2021: Nine goals, seven assists. Won Champions League & UEFA Super Cup.<br /><br />16. Neymar (Paris Saint-Germain)<br />Last time: 16th<br />In 2021: 14 goals, 12 assists. Won Coupe de France & Trophee des Champions.<br /><br />15. Raheem Sterling (Manchester City)<br />Last time: 12th<br />In 2021: 13 goals, seven assists. Won Premier League & Carabao Cup.<br /><br />14. Harry Kane (Tottenham)<br />Last time: 14th<br />In 2021: 28 goals, five assists.<br /><br />13. Ruben Dias (Manchester City)<br />Last time: 13th<br />In 2021: One goal, two assists, 24 clean sheets. Won Premier League & Carabao Cup.<br /><br />12. Federico Chiesa (Juventus)<br />Last time: 10th<br />In 2021: 15 goals, five assists. Won Euro 2020, Coppa Italia & Supercoppa Italiana.<br /><br />11. Gianluigi Donnarumma (Paris Saint-Germain)<br />Last time: 15th<br />In 2021: 19 clean sheets. Won Euro 2020.<br /><br />10. Karim Benzema (Real Madrid)<br />Last time: 11th<br />In 2021: 28 goals, 11 assists.<br /><br />9. Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City)<br />Last time: 7th<br />In 2021: 10 goals, 11 assists. Won Premier League & Carabao Cup.<br /><br />8. Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)<br />Last time: 8th<br />In 2021: 33 goals, four assists. Won Coppa Italia & Supercoppa Italiana.<br /><br />7. Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain)<br />Last time: 6th<br />In 2021: 33 goals, 11 assists. Won Coupe de France & Trophee des Champions.<br /><br />6. Erling Haaland (Borussia Dortmund)<br />Last time: 9th<br />In 2021: 41 goals, 13 assists. Won DFB-Pokal.<br /><br />5. Romelu Lukaku (Chelsea)<br />Last time: 5th<br />In 2021: 29 goals, eight assists. Won Serie A.<br /><br />4. N'Golo Kante (Chelsea)<br />Last time: 4th<br />In 2021: One goal, one assist. Won Champions League & UEFA Super Cup.<br /><br />3. Jorginho (Chelsea)<br />Last time: 3rd<br />In 2021: Five goals, two assists. Won Euro 2020, Champions League & UEFA Super Cup.<br /><br />2. Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)<br />Last time: 2nd<br />In 2021: 48 goals, seven assists. Won Bundesliga, Club World Cup & DFL-Supercup.<br /><br />1. Lionel Messi (Paris Saint-Germain)<br />Last time: 1st<br />In 2021: 36 goals, 14 assists. Won Copa America & Copa del Rey.<br /><br />Is there a scenario where Messi does not win his seventh Ballon d'Or in 2021?<br /><br />#BallondOr2021 #Messi #Lewandowski
