After "
Messix
", "
Messept
"?
Lionel Messi appears as the big favorite to succeed himself and win a seventh Ballon d'Or, Monday at the Châtelet theater in Paris (8:30 p.m.), where only Robert Lewandowski and Karim Benzema seem to be able to prevent this consecration.
To discover
Ballon d'Or: prize list, results, full ranking ...
This is the end of a "
long wait
", wrote the sports daily L'Equipe on Monday, recalling that the 2020 edition had been canceled due to the Covid crisis.
The evening should reward personalities linked to FC Barcelona: Messi, but also Alexia Putellas, the striker of the women's section who won the Champions League, as well as Pedri, favorite for the Kopa trophy intended for the best young player under 21 years old.
"
They deserve it
", assured the Catalan daily Sport in "
one
"
Before joining Paris SG in August, the "
Pulga
" won "
only
" the King's Cup with the club blaugrana.
But the little elf (34) has finally reached the Grail in selection, winning the Copa America in July with Argentina, 13 years after Olympic gold.
“
If I get the Ballon d'Or, it would be amazing to win one more.
A seventh, that would be madness,
”predicted Messi in early November in an interview with Sport.
"
Lewy
" and "
Benz
" at the top
In case of coronation at this gala, hosted by former player Didier Drogba and journalist Sandy Heribert, Messi would be the second PSG player to lift the prestigious trophy, but the first to do so with the blue and red jersey.
The Liberian Georges Weah played half of 1995 in Paris, but was crowned under the colors of AC Milan.
Against Messi, Lewandowski is also well placed to win the votes of the 180 jurors, one journalist per country (the vote ended on October 24).
'
Lewy
' would have had every chance in 2020, when he won the Champions League with Bayern Munich, but the Ballon d'Or was not awarded that year, for the first time since its creation in 1956. .
However, the Polish international has not eased off.
The serial scorer this year broke the record of the legendary Gerd Müller (40 goals) by scoring 41 goals in a Bundesliga season, even if he did not shine either in the Champions League in the spring, or with Poland in the 'Euro.
Karim Benzema also has the class and personality of a winner, despite an unfinished collective season with Real Madrid and an early elimination with France at the Euro.
His recent one-year suspended prison sentence in the “
sextape
” case, a judgment handed down after the vote closed and which the attacker appealed, does not plead in his favor either.
Which player will succeed Rapinoe?
But, at 33, "
Benz
" is at the top of his game, and he guided the Blues to a victory in the League of Nations in October.
"
For what he does and for what he has done, he has to be on the list of possible winners,
" Real coach Carlo Ancelotti said.
The Italian of Brazilian origin Jorginho has won everything, the Euro with the "
Nazionale
" and the C1 with Chelsea, but he does not have the talent of the first cities, and the Ballon d'Or almost always wins attackers.
This leaves a chance for the indestructible Cristiano Ronaldo, five-time Ballon d'Or, who continues to chain goals since his transfer to Manchester United in August.
Among the women, to succeed the American Megan Rapinoe, Barça's incredible season pleads for Putellas or even Jennifer Hermoso, but Chelsea players have arguments to make, such as Sam Kerr, Fran Kirby, Pernille Harder or Jessie Fleming , also crowned Olympic champion with Canada.
Finally, the evening must also crown the best goalkeeper of the year (Yachine trophy), the Parisian Gianluigi Donnarumma, winner of the Euro this summer with the Italian, appearing as the favorite.