Other superstar performers to get the nod to include Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappe, Karim Benzema and Romelu Lukaku.
Ballon d’Or 2021 Nominees: See Full List Of Nominees For The 2021 Ballon d’Or
A Golden Ball heading in the direction of any of those mentioned above would come as no surprise, but the likes of Euro 2020 winner Jorginho and his Chelsea team-mate N’Golo Kante also have their sights set on a shock win.
Who is in contention for the 2021 Ballon d’Or?
Cesar Azpilicueta
Nicolo Barella
Karim Benzema
Leonardo Bonucci
Giorgio Chiellini
Kevin De Bruyne
Ruben Dias
Gianluigi Donnarumma
Bruno Fernandes
Phil Foden
Erling Haaland
Jorginho
Harry Kane
N’Golo Kante
Simon Kjaer
Robert Lewandowski
Romelu Lukaku
Riyad Mahrez
Lautaro Martinez
Kylian Mbappe
Lionel Messi
Luka Modric
Gerard Moreno
Mason Mount
Neymar
Pedri
Cristiano Ronaldo
Mohamed Salah
Raheem Sterling
Luis Suarez
When will the 2021 winner be revealed?
Now that a 30-man list of top performers from the last 12 months has been compiled, the voting process can begin.
A selection of international journalists, national team coaches and captains will be polled to determine the winner, with each voter being asked to pick out their top five.
Once that process has been completed, the prestigious prize will be handed out at a glitzy ceremony in Paris on November 29.
Past winners
With France Football being forced to take a coronavirus-enforced break from Ballon d’Or duty in 2020, the current holders of the men’s and women’s gongs have reigned for two years.
Argentine superstar Messi was the last man to land the male award back in 2019, with the iconic South American claiming top prize for a record-breaking sixth time.
Bayern Munich striker Lewandowski missed out on succeeding the now Paris Saint-Germain forward despite enjoying a remarkable run in front of goal last year – with the prolific Pole having to make do with a FIFA Best award.
Messi and his eternal rival Ronaldo have shared 11 of the last 12 Ballons d’Or between them, with Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric the only man to have broken their duopoly in 2018.
Among the other notable names to have taken first prize in the past are Kaka, Fabio Cannavaro, Ronaldinho, Michael Owen, Luis Figo, Zineidine Zidane, Ronaldo, George Weah, Marco van Basten, Roberto Baggio, Michel Platini, Franz Beckenbauer, Johan Cruyff, Gerd Muller, George Best, Bobby Charlton, Lev Yashin, Alfredo Di Stefano and Stanley Matthews.
The current holder of the women’s award is USWNT star Megan Rapinoe, with England’s Lucy Bronze finishing as runner-up in 2019.
The inaugural winner of the female Golden Ball back in 2018 was Norwegian star Ada Hegerberg, who has just returned to action with Lyon after 21 months stuck on the sidelines through injury.
Who is in contention for the 2021 Ballon d’Or Feminin?
France Football also released 20 nominees for the women’s award, with superstars like Sam Kerr, Pernille Harder, and Vivianne Miedema making the list.
Rapinoe was not nominated this time around, though her international team-mate Sam Mewis did make the list as the only American nominee.
Alexia Putellas, who won this year’s UEFA Women’s Player of the Year award is on the list, as well as three major contributors for Canada’s Olympic gold medal winners: Jessie Fleming, Ashley Lawrence and Christine Sinclair.
Full list
Alexia Putellas
Magdalena Eriksson
Marie-Antoinette Katoto
Sam Kerr
Stina Blackstenius
Wendie Renard
Samantha Mewis
Pernille Harder
Vivianne Miedema
Sandra Panos
Lieke Martens
Jessie Fleming
Irene Paredes
Ashley Lawrence
Christine Sinclair
Ellen White
Christiane Endler
Jennifer Hermoso
Fran Kirby
Kadidiatou Diani
Other awards
France Football announced 10-man shortlists for two further awards: the Kopa Trophy, given to the best performing player under the age of 21, and the Yashin Trophy, given to the best goalkeeper.
Kopa Trophy shortlist: Mason Greenwood, Bukayo Saka, Pedri, Jeremy Doku, Ryan Gravenberch, Jamal Musiala, Florian Wirtz, Jude Bellingham, Giovanni Reyna, Nuno Mendes
Yashin Trophy shortlist: Gianluigi Donnarumma, Ederson, Kasper Schmeichel, Edouard Mendy, Keylor Navas, Emiliano Martínez, Manuel Neuer, Jan Oblak, Samir Handanovic
Governor Dauda Lawal has approved a 120-day Rapid Intervention Action Plan aimed at addressing systemic failures in Zamfara State’s education sector.
The Governor presided over the State Executive Council meeting on Monday at the Government House in Gusau, where key decisions were taken.
During deliberations at the 65th Council meeting, issues related to education, health, works, and other sectors were discussed and approved.
The Council endorsed a 120-day rapid intervention plan built on prior diagnostic activities conducted by the Ministry of Education and the Education Quality Assurance Agency (EQAA). The plan, presented by the overseeing Commissioner for Education, Abdulmalik Abubakar Gajam, includes payroll audits, school mapping exercises, and infrastructure assessments. It proposes targeted, time-bound interventions across governance, infrastructure, digital transformation, teacher development, and student welfare.
The Council also approved the formation of a joint committee to immediately assess all illegal or unapproved structures built around schools in the state, with a view to relocating them and securing school environments. The committee will be led by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MOEST).
Additionally, the Council approved a single, unified Education Sector Bill (covering Early Childhood Care Development Education to Tertiary level), to be developed in consultation with stakeholders including agencies, institutions, civil society, traditional rulers, and development partners. A draft bill will be presented to the State House of Assembly for enactment within the emergency timeframe.
The Governor further approved the transfer of non-teaching staff—such as messengers, labourers, gardeners, cooks, guards, drivers, health workers, and artisans—from the Ministry’s payroll to appropriate MDAs (CPG, MoH, Establishment) or private firms.
Among other important issues, the Council approved the composition of the Zamfara State Steering Committee on the State of Emergency on Education and authorised the Committee to constitute a Technical Working Group (TWG) and co-opt stakeholders including the NUT, UNICEF, UBEC, traditional and religious leaders, private school proprietors, and CSOs.
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