The 20 candidates for the Ballon d’Or were presented late on Friday afternoon – ten of them play for either Barça or Chelsea.
The Ballon d’Or 2021 will be awarded on 29 November, and already on Friday “France Football” presented the 20 names of the potential winners. Ten of the 20 players will wear either the jersey of FC Barcelona or that of FC Chelsea. Former Wolfsburg player Pernille Harder is among the Blues’ players.
In 2018, Ada Hegerberg of Olympique Lyon was awarded the Ballon d’Or – Harder (Wolfsburg) was runner-up to Hegerberg’s team-mate Dzsenifer Maroszan three years ago. In 2019, Megan Rapinoe (OL Reign) stood at the top. Last year, no winner was crowned in the women’s race due to the Corona pandemic.
Alexia Putellas is considered to have a good chance of winning the Ballon d’Or; the midfielder has already been named European Footballer of the Year this year. There is not a single candidate from the Bundesliga in the top 20.
The 20 candidates at a glance:
Alexia Putellas (FC Barcelona, Midfield)
Magdalena Eriksson (Chelsea, Defence)
Marie-Antoinette Katoto (PSG, Forward)
Samantha Kerr (Chelsea, Forward)
Stina Blackstenius (BK Hacken, Forward)
Wendie Renard (Olympique Lyon, Defence)
Samantha Mewis (North Carolina Courage, Midfield)
Pernille Harder (Chelsea, Forward)
Vivianne Miedema (Arsenal, Forward)
Sandra Panos (FC Barcelona, Goal)
Lieke Martens (FC Barcelona, Forward)
Jessie Fleming (Chelsea, Midfield)
Irene Paredes (FC Barcelona, Defence)
Ashley Lawrence (PSG, Midfield)
Christine Sinclair (Thorns FC, Forward)
Ellen White (Manchester City, Forward)
Claudia Christiane Endler (Olympique Lyon, Goal)
Jenni Hermoso (FC Barcelona, Midfield)
Fran Kirby (Chelsea, Forward)
Kadidiatou Diani (PSG, Forward)