Messi, Phil Foden nominated for 2021 Ballon d’Or

Manchester City midfielder Phil Foden, Paris St-Germain’s Lionel Messi are on the shortlist for the men’s 2021 Ballon d’Or award.

The winner of the award will be crowned on November 29, with the ceremony taking place at the Théâtre du Châtelet de Paris.

Messi was the 2019 winner of the award for a record sixth time.

There are 14 Premier League players on the 30-man 2021 shortlist and five members of Italy’s European Championship-winning squad.

The Ballon d’Or, organised by France Football, is awarded annually to the world’s best footballer.

The prize was not given out in 2020 – for the first time since 1956 – because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The nominees are: Cesar Azpilicueta (Chelsea, Spain), Nicolo Barella (Inter Milan, Italy), Karim Benzema (Real Madrid, France), Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus, Italy), Kevin de Bruyne (Manchester City, Belgium), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus, Italy), Ruben Dias (Manchester City, Portugal), Gianluigi Donnarumma (PSG, Italy), Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United, Portugal), Phil Foden (Manchester City, England), Erling Braut Haaland (Borussia Dortmund, Norway), Jorginho (Chelsea, Italy), Harry Kane (Tottenham, England), N’Golo Kante (Chelsea, France), Simon Kjaer (AC Milan, Denmark), Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich, Poland), Romelu Lukaku (Chelsea, Belgium), Riyad Mahrez (Manchester City, Algeria), Lautaro Martinez (Inter Milan, Argentina), Kylian Mbappe (PSG, France), Lionel Messi (PSG, Argentina), Luka Modric (Real Madrid, Croatia), Gerard Moreno (Villarreal, Spain), Mason Mount (Chelsea, England), Neymar (PSG, Brazil), Pedri (Barcelona, Spain), Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United, Portugal), Mohamed Salah (Liverpool, Egypt), Raheem Sterling (Manchester City, England), and Luis Suarez (Atletico Madrid, Uruguay).

What is Ballon d’Or

The Ballon d’Or has been awarded by France Football every year since 1956, with England’s Stanley Matthews the first winner.

It was only for European players until 1995, when it expanded to become open for any player at a European club. From 2007 it opened up to the rest of the world.

The 30-man list of nominees is compiled by the editorial staff of the French magazine, with the winner voted for by journalists from around the world, with one representative per nation.

From 2010 to 2015 it merged with Fifa’s awards, but they split and the world governing body set up its own awards again in 2016.