


“Last year, everyone was in agreement to say that you were the big winner of this award.” However, he acknowledged the striker when he picked up the prize. Lewandowski was among the front-runners for the 2021 edition but Paris Saint-German superstar and six-time winner Messi added a seventh triumph. It has been dominated by Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in recent years, with the duo winning 11 of the 12 awards up for grabs since 2008 – Luka Modric briefly broke their duopoly in 2018. Judged by a panel of journalists, the Ballon d’Or ran in conjunction with FIFA from 2010 until 2015, when the governing body split to create its own – and much less prestigious – ‘Best Player’ award. Messi won, though, but but acknowledged Lewandowski when he accepted the prize BETTING SPECIAL – Get Mo Salah, Sadio Mane and Diogo Jota all to score at 7/1
