The nominees for the 2021 Ballon d'Or have been announced, and some of football's biggest names, including Lionel Messi, Robert Lewandowski and Kylian Mbappe, will be contending for the prestigious award.
The only player to have won the award a record six times, Messi is once again in contention for the prize.
Scroll through the gallery above to see some of the favourites for the 2021 Ballon d'Or
Having already scored 29 club goals this year, the former Barcelona talisman also bagged his first-ever Copa America crown with Argentina in July, a title that has eluded him on several attempts in the past, while he also got his hands on the Copa del Rey trophy before making the switch to Paris.
His famous rival Cristiano Ronaldo, with whom he has dominated this award over the past decade, has also been nominated, but after a somewhat subdued year by the Portugal captain's standards, not many are expecting him to walk away with the prize this time around.
Read: Van Dijk picks between Ronaldo Messi
Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski, though, has had a phenomenal 2021 to date, having hit the back of the net 39 times for the Bavarians already.
He smashed Gerd Muller's 49-year-old record for the most goals in a single German top-flight season with his 41 strikes in 2020/21, and also won the Bundesliga, German Super Cup, and FIFA Club World Cup titles this year.
While many expected him to win the Ballon d'Or in 2020 before France Football decided to cancel it due to the coronavirus pandemic, he is definitely in with a shout once again.
French sensation Kylian Mbappe has also been nominated, and with the 32 goals he has scored for Paris Saint-Germain in 2021, coupled with two domestic trophies, some feel he may be an outside contender for the prestigious prize.
Another favourite for the famous accolade is Chelsea star Jorginho, who won the UEFA Champions League as well as the UEFA European Championship this year.
The winner of the award will be announced in a ceremony on 29 November at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris.
Here are all the nominees for the 2021 Ballon d'Or award:
BREAKING: The 30 nominees for the Men's Ballon d'Or 2021 are officially confirmed! ??
Nominees for the Kopa Trophy
Check out the 10 nominees for the 2021 Kopa Trophy! #tropheekopa #ballondor pic.twitter.com/D6of3xXHGH
Nominees for the Yachine Trophy
Check out the 10 nominees for the 2021 Yachine Trophy! #tropheeyachine #ballondor pic.twitter.com/SNE4rmQN5t
Nominees for the Women's Ballon d'Or
Here are the 20 nominees for the 2021 Women’s #ballondor! pic.twitter.com/Uh0RHQPdCq
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