Following yet another record-breaking year, PSG forward Lionel Messi was presented with the award on Monday night in Paris by FIFA President Sepp Blatter. Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski, who had been a favorite for the award in 2020 before it was canceled due to Covid, came in second and Chelsea’s Jorginho came in third. On Tuesday, Argentina footballer Lionel Messi was awarded the Ballon d’Or for the seventh time in his career, and Barcelona’s Alexia Putellas was awarded the Ballon d’Or for the first time in her career.
Argentina won the Copa America title in July, after losing in the previous four major international finals, thanks to the efforts of Messi, who was 34 at the time. Putellas, a 27-year-old midfielder for Barcelona, earned the trophy for the first time after contributing to the club’s triple triumph and scoring 26 goals in 42 games overall. Having scored in the Champions League final against Chelsea in May of this year, she was crowned UEFA Women’s Player of the Year in August.
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Ada Hegerberg of Norway won the prize in 2018 and Megan Rapinoe of the United States won it in 2019. They are the only prior female winners. The 2020 awards were postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic, which caused the season to be delayed. It marks the first time since 2010 that Cristiano Ronaldo does not place in the top three in the Ballon d’Or award.
Gianluigi Donnarumma of Italy was named the best goalkeeper of the year, with Robert Lewandowski from Bayern Munich earning the award for the “Striker of the Year.” Pedri of Barcelona was awarded the Kopa Trophy, which recognizes the greatest young player in the league. Chelsea, on the other hand, was named the best club in the world. The Ballon d’Or honors are given out by France Football magazine and have been given out to men every year since 1956 when Stanley Matthews was awarded the prize.
