Golden Ball Winners List 2021: The 65th Ballon d’Or ceremony was held on 29 November 2021 in Paris. After a year-long absence due to COVID-19 in 2020, the Golden Ball made a glorious return — and it went straight back to the greatest of all time. Lionel Messi claimed his record-extending 7th Ballon d’Or, cementing his status as the most decorated player in the award’s history.
The Winner: Lionel Messi
Messi won with a remarkable 613 points, narrowly edging out Robert Lewandowski who finished with 580 points in what was one of the closest votes in years. His win was driven by a truly special achievement — captaining Argentina to the 2021 Copa América, the country’s first major international title since 1993. It was a deeply emotional win, not just for Messi, but for an entire nation that had waited decades for that trophy.
Adding to the drama, this was also the season Messi made his heartbreaking exit from FC Barcelona after 21 years, joining Paris Saint-Germain — a moment that shocked the entire football world. Despite personal turbulence off the pitch, his performances still earned him football’s highest individual honor.
Full Men’s Top 30 Rankings
Here is the complete voting order for the 2021 Ballon d’Or:
| Rank | Player | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 🥇 1 | Lionel Messi | 613 |
| 🥈 2 | Robert Lewandowski | 580 |
| 🥉 3 | Jorginho | 460 |
| 4 | Karim Benzema | 239 |
| 5 | N’Golo Kanté | 186 |
| 6 | Cristiano Ronaldo | 178 |
| 7 | Mohamed Salah | 121 |
| 8 | Kevin De Bruyne | 73 |
| 9 | Kylian Mbappé | 58 |
| 10 | Gianluigi Donnarumma | 36 |
| 11 | Erling Haaland | 33 |
| =12 | Romelu Lukaku | 26 |
| =12 | Giorgio Chiellini | 26 |
| 14 | Leonardo Bonucci | 18 |
| 15 | Raheem Sterling | 10 |
| 16 | Neymar | 9 |
| =17 | Luis Suárez | 8 |
| =17 | Simon Kjær | 8 |
| 19 | Mason Mount | — |
| =19 | Riyad Mahrez | — |
| =21 | Bruno Fernandes | — |
| =21 | Lautaro Martínez | — |
| 23 | Harry Kane | — |
| 24 | Pedri | — |
| 25 | Phil Foden | — |
| =26 | Nicolò Barella | — |
| =26 | Rúben Dias | — |
| =26 | Gerard Moreno | — |
| =29 | Luka Modrić | — |
| =29 | César Azpilicueta | — |
Other Awards at the 2021 Ceremony
The night recognized excellence beyond just the men’s winner:
- Ballon d’Or Féminin — Alexia Putellas (Barcelona, Spain) — her first of back-to-back wins
- Yashin Trophy (Best Goalkeeper) — Gianluigi Donnarumma (PSG, Italy)
- Kopa Trophy (Best Young Player) — Pedri (Barcelona, Spain)
- Gerd Müller Trophy (Top Scorer — new in 2021) — Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
- Club of the Year — Chelsea (won Champions League, Super Cup, Club World Cup)
The Lewandowski Debate
Robert Lewandowski’s runner-up finish was one of the most talked-about results of the evening. Many fans and pundits argued that he deserved the 2020 award (which was cancelled) for his historic 41-goal Bundesliga season — a record that still stands. France Football themselves later acknowledged that Lewandowski would have won in 2020, but the margin of just 33 points in 2021 kept the debate burning long after the ceremony ended.
