2021 Ballon d'Or
The 2021 Ballon d'Or (French: Ballon d'Or) was the 65th annual ceremony of the Ballon d'Or, presented by France Football, recognising the best footballers in the world in 2021.
| 2021 Ballon d'Or | |
|---|---|
2021 Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi | |
| Date | 29 November 2021 |
| Location | Théâtre du Châtelet, Paris |
| Presented by | France Football |
| Hosted by | Sandy Heribert Didier Drogba |
| Highlights | |
| Ballon d'Or | Lionel Messi (7th award) |
| Ballon d'Or Féminin | Alexia Putellas (1st award) |
| Kopa Trophy | Pedri (1st award) |
| Yashin Trophy | Gianluigi Donnarumma (1st award) |
| Best Striker | Robert Lewandowski (1st award) |
| Website | www.francefootball.fr |
The nominees for the ceremony were announced on 8 October 2021. Right before the ceremony, France Football announced that along with the Men's and Women's Ballon d'Or, Kopa Trophy and Yashin Trophy, two new awards would be given: the Best Club and Best Striker of the Year.
Lionel Messi won the award for a record-extending seventh time after captaining Argentina to the 2021 Copa America, its first senior international title since 1993. Robert Lewandowski finished second following his record-setting 41-goal season in the 2020–21 Bundesliga campaign, and Jorginho finished third after contributing to 2020–21 UEFA Champions League and UEFA Euro 2020 titles.