Ballon d'Or 2021: Every award winner on a historic night for Lionel Messi

The Ballon d'Or rankings are coming
The Ballon d'Or rankings are coming / THOMAS SAMSON/GettyImages
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The 2021 Ballon d'Or awards, held at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris, saw Lionel Messi make history with a seventh individual crown.

The Argentine was rewarded for another stupendous individual year, one which saw him banish his demons on the international stage to life the Copa America with Argentina.

Messi also won the Copa del Rey with Barcelona, with his overall contribution for club and country enough to see off fierce competition from Robert Lewandowski. The outstanding Polish striker came a narrow second, ahead of Chelsea's Jorginho who took third place.

Karim Benzema and N'Golo Kante rounded out the top five, ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo and Mohamed Salah.

Alexia Putellas, meanwhile, won the 2021 Ballon d'Or Feminin award to cap a magnificent year with treble-winners Barcelona.

The Spaniard contributed 37 goals and 27 assists during 2021 and was the overwhelming favourite to scoop the top individual honour in women's football. In doing so, she becomes just the third winner of the award after Ada Hegerberg and Megan Rapinoe, beating teammate Jennifer Hermoso, who came second, and Chelsea's Sam Kerr, who completed the top three.

Elsewhere, Pedri lifted the Kopa Trophy, Gianluigi Donnarumma was recognised for being the best goalkeeper of 2021 with the Yachine Trophy, and Chelsea won Club of the Year.

There was also an honour for Lewandowski, who was named 2021 Striker of the Year.


2021 Ballon d'Or - Lionel Messi

Final rankings

1.
Lionel Messi (PSG)
2.
Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
3.
Jorginho (Chelsea)
4. Karim Benzema (Real Madrid)
5. N'Golo Kante (Chelsea)
6. Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)
7. Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
8. Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City)
9. Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain)
10. Gianluigi Donnarumma (Paris Saint-Germain)
11. Erling Haaland (Borussia Dortmund)
12. Romelu Lukaku (Chelsea)
13. Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus)
14. Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus)
15. Raheem Sterling (Manchester City)
16. Neymar (PSG)
17. Luis Suarez (Atletico Madrid)
18. Simon Kjaer (Milan)
19. Mason Mount (Chelsea)
20. Riyad Mahrez (Manchester City)
21= Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United)
21= Lautaro Martinez (Inter)
23. Harry Kane (Tottenham)
24. Pedri (Barcelona)
25. Phil Foden (Manchester City)
26= Nicolo Barella (Inter)
26= Ruben Dias (Manchester City)
26= Gerard Moreno (Villarreal)
29= Luka Modric (Real Madrid)
29= Cesar Azpilicueta (Chelsea)


2021 Ballon d'Or Femenin - Alexia Putellas

Final rankings

1.
Alexia Putellas (Barcelona)
2. Jennifer Hermoso (Barcelona)
3. Sam Kerr (Chelsea)
4. Vivianne Miedema (Arsenal)
5. Lieke Martens (Barcelona)
6. Christine Sinclair (Portland Thorns)
7. Pernille Harder (Chelsea)
8. Jessie Fleming (Chelsea)
9. Ashley Lawrence (PSG)
10. Fran Kirby (Chelsea)


2021 Club of the Year - Chelsea


2021 Yachine Trophy - Gianluigi Donnarumma


2021 Striker of the Year - Robert Lewandowski


2021 Kopa Trophy - Pedri