For the first time, Messi will be able to win the award without the Barcelona shirt, beyond the fact that his arrival was due to his 38 goals with the Catalan team and the enormous performance in the Copa América in Brazil, which allowed Argentina to break with years of drought and on a personal level to win his first consecration in the Senior Selection.
Another winner of the continental tournament is Martínez, who finished with 17 goals on the way to the Inter Milan title and for the first time appeared on the list of the best in the world.
The other South Americans who entered between the 30 are the Brazilian Neymar (PSG) and the Uruguayan Luis Suárez (Atlético de Madrid); the rest are Europeans and there is only one African, the Algerian Riyad Mahrez (Manchester City).
The last winner of the Ballon d’Or was Lionel Messi, in 2019, since in 2020 it was suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic. Only Alfredo Di Stéfano He won the crown twice but as a Spaniard since only in 1995 there was a change in the rules to allow non-European footballers to be chosen as long as they belonged to a club from that continent.
This is why Diego Maradona, despite his historical footprint in international football, never raised it while he took Napoli champion of everything.
In total 180 journalists will vote, who will decide who is the best of the last season.
The 30 nominees for the Ballon d’Or-
Lionel Messi (ARG / Paris-SG)
2. Lautaro Martínez (ARG / Inter Milan)
3. Kevin De Bruyne (BEL/Manchester City)
4. Neymar (BRA/Paris-SG)
5. Robert Lewandowski (POL / Bayern Munich)
6. Jorginho (ITA/Chelsea)
7. Mohamed Salah (EGI/Liverpool)
8. César Azpilicueta (ESP / Chelsea)
9. Romelu Lukaku (BEL/Chelsea)
10. Ruben Dias (POR/Manchester City)
Simon Kjaer (DEN / AC Milan)
12. Bruno Fernandes (POR/Manchester United)
13. Pedri (ESP / FC Barcelona)
14. Luka Modric (CRO/Real Madrid)
15. Giorgio Chiellini (ITA / Juventus Turin)
16. Harry Kane (ING/Tottenham)
17. Gianluigi Donnarumma (ITA / Paris-SG)
Karim Benzema (FRA / Real Madrid)
19. Raheem Sterling (ING/Manchester City)
20. Nicolo Barella (ITA / Inter)
21. Riyad Mahrez (ALG/Manchester City)
22. N’Golo Kanté (FRA / Chelsea)
23. Erling Haaland (NOR / Borussia Dortmund)
24. Leonardo Bonucci (ITA / Juventus Turin)
25. Mason Mount (ING/Chelsea)
26. Cristiano Ronaldo (POR/Manchester United).
27. Gerard Moreno (ESP / Villarreal)
28. Phil Foden (ING/Manchester City).
29. Kylian Mbappé (FRA / Paris-SG).
30. Luis Suárez (URU / Atlético de Madrid)
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