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Max Mallow

Ballon d’Or 2021 Winners: Full List

Lionel Messi was presented his seventh Ballon d’Or by longtime teammate Luis Suárez. | FRANCK FIFE/AFP via Getty Images

The 2021 Ballon d’Or returned some sense of normalcy to the soccer/football world after the ceremony was cancelled in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

And while Lionel Messi captured the award for the seventh time, he did so in Paris Saint-Germain colors for the first time. The Argentine had traded in his Blaugrana shirt for PSG’s blue in one of the most shocking transfers ever. Though, like years past, Messi stepped up at the ceremony to receive the award.

Cristiano Ronaldo also make a shocking transfer move, yet he was returning to Manchester United after his successes at Real Madrid and Juventus. For the Portuguese legend, he found himself outside the top three in the category for the first time since 2010.

Other notable nominees in the men’s category include the host of Chelsea players that defied the odds to defeat Manchester City in the Champions League final.

Here’s the full list of winners from the 2021 Ballon d’Or ceremony.



Men’s Ballon d’Or 2021 Winner

Lionel Messi
PSG held a special ceremony for Messi after winning the Ballon d’Or. | John Berry/Getty Images
  • T-29: César Azpilicueta (Chelsea, Spain)
  • T-29: Luka Modrić (Real Madrid, Croatia)
  • T-26: Rúben Dias (Manchester City, Portugal)
  • T-26: Nicolò Barella (Inter Milan, Italy)
  • T-26: Gerard Moreno (Villarreal, Spain)
  • 25: Phil Foden (Manchester City, England)
  • 24: Pedri (Barcelona, Spain)
  • 23: Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur, England)
  • T-21: Lautaro Martínez (Inter Milan, Argentina)
  • T-21: Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United, Portugal)
  • T-19: Riyad Mahrez (Manchester City, Algeria)
  • T-19: Mason Mount (Chelsea, England)
  • T-17: Simon Kjær (Milan, Denmark)
  • T-17: Luis Suárez (Atlético Madrid, Uruguay)
  • 16: Neymar (Paris Saint-Germain, Brazil)
  • 15: Raheem Sterling (Manchester City, England)
  • 14: Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus, Italy)
  • T-12: Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus, Italy)
  • T-12: Romelu Lukaku (Inter Milan / Chelsea, Belgium)
  • 11: Erling Haaland (Borussia Dortmund, Norway)
  • 10: Gianluigi Donnarumma (Milan / Paris Saint-Germain, Italy)
  • 9: Kylian Mbappé (Paris Saint-Germain, France)
  • 8: Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City, Belgium)
  • 7: Mohamed Salah (Liverpool, Egypt)
  • 6: Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus / Manchester United, Portugal)
  • 5: N’Golo Kanté (Chelsea, France)
  • 4: Karim Benzema (Real Madrid, France)
  • 3: Jorginho (Chelsea, Italy)
  • 2: Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich, Poland)
  • 1: Lionel Messi (Barcelona / Paris Saint-Germain, Argentina)

A season often remembered for Lionel Messi’s shocking departure from Barcelona, the Argentine extended his record to seven Ballon d’Ors in 2021 thanks to him guiding Argentina to a Copa América title. Ironically enough, it was also the same season Cristiano Ronaldo returned to Manchester United before departing for the Saudi Pro League a couple years later.

Of those nominated, some might be surprised to see Jorginho. Though, the Italian was one of the best midfielders in the world that season lifting the Champions League and UEFA Euro trophies with Chelsea and Italy respectively.

Messi is also the only PSG player to win the award in the club’s history, though that could change in 2025.


Women’s Ballon d’Or 2021 Winner

Alexia Putellas
Alexia Putellas with her first Ballon d’Or Féminin. | Eric Alonso/Getty Images
  • 20: Wendie Renard (Lyon, France)
  • 19: Sandra Paños (Barcelona, Spain)
  • =17: Marie-Antoinette Katoto (Paris Saint-Germain, France)
  • =17: Kadidiatou Diani (Paris Saint-Germain, France)
  • 16: Ellen White (Manchester City, England)
  • 15: Irene Paredes (Paris Saint-Germain / Barcelona, Spain)
  • 14: Sam Mewis (Manchester City / North Carolina Courage, United States)
  • 13: Stina Blackstenius (BK Häcken, Sweden)
  • 12: Christiane Endler (Paris Saint-Germain / Lyon, Chile)
  • 11: Magdalena Eriksson (Chelsea, Sweden)
  • 10: Fran Kirby (Chelsea, England)
  • 9: Jessie Fleming (Chelsea, Canada)
  • 8: Ashley Lawrence (Paris Saint-Germain, Canada)
  • 7: Pernille Harder (Chelsea, Denmark)
  • 6: Christine Sinclair (Portland Thorns, Canada)
  • 5: Lieke Martens (Barcelona, Netherlands)
  • 4: Vivianne Miedema (Arsenal, Netherlands)
  • 3: Sam Kerr (Chelsea, Australia)
  • 2: Jennifer Hermoso (Barcelona, Spain)
  • 1: Alexia Putellas (Barcelona, Spain)

Barcelona and Spain superstar Alexia Putellas won her first of two Ballon d’Ors beating out Sam Kerr and Jennifer Hermoso, the two other women to make up the podium. Her win marked the first time a player from Barcelona’s women’s team won the award.


Yashin Trophy 2021 Winner

Gianluigi Donnarumma
Gianluigi Donnarumma was unquestionably the best goalkeeper in the world. | Aurelien Meunier/Getty Images
  • 10: Samir Handanović (Inter Milan, Slovenia)
  • T-8: Keylor Navas (Paris Saint-Germain, Costa Rica)
  • T-8: Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid, Belgium)
  • 7: Kasper Schmeichel (Leicester City, Denmark)
  • 6: Emiliano Martínez (Aston Villa, Argentina)
  • 5: Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich, Germany)
  • 4: Ederson (Manchester City, Brazil)
  • 3: Jan Oblak (Atlético Madrid, Slovenia)
  • 2: Édouard Mendy (Chelsea, Senegal)
  • 1: Gianluigi Donnarumma (Milan / Paris Saint-Germain, Italy)

Gianluigi Donnarumma won his first Yashin Trophy and the second-ever given the award was created in 2019.


Kopa Trophy 2021 Winner

Pedri, Alexia Putellas
Pedri (left) and Putellas (right) showing off their awards. | Alex Caparros/Getty Images
  • T-9: Jérémy Doku (Rennes, Belgium)
  • T-9: Giovanni Reyna (Borussia Dortmund, United States)
  • 8: Ryan Gravenberch (Ajax, Netherlands)
  • 7: Florian Wirtz (Bayer Leverkusen, Germany)
  • 6: Bukayo Saka (Arsenal, England)
  • 5: Mason Greenwood (Manchester United, England)
  • 4: Nuno Mendes (Sporting CP / Paris Saint-Germain, Portugal)
  • 3: Jamal Musiala (Bayern Munich, Germany)
  • 2: Jude Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund, England)
  • 1: Pedri (Barcelona, Spain)

Barcelona’s young midfield star, Pedri, won the Kopa Trophy kicking off an era of dominance for the Catalans in the category.


Gerd Müller Trophy 2021 Winner

Robert Lewandowski
Robert Lewandowski (left) with Didier Drgoba at the award ceremony. | Aurelien Meunier/Getty Images

Robert Lewandowski won the Gerd Müller award, formerly simply known as the Striker of the Year. The famed Polish striker scored 41 goals in a record-setting season for Bayern Munich, a performance coming a season after Bayern Munich won the Champions League under Hansi Flick but the 2020 event was not held due to the COVID-19 pandemic.


Club of the Year 2021 Winner


READ THE LATEST ON THE BALLON D'OR 2025—NEWS, NOMINEES AND RANKINGS


This article was originally published on www.si.com as Ballon d’Or 2021 Winners: Full List .

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