With all of the nominees for the 2021 Ballon d'Or to be named on Friday, here are 10 footballers you can expect to see on the list following their exploits this year, including the man many believe could beat Lionel Messi to the accolade.
Click through the gallery above to see 10 stars likely to be named on the 2021 Ballon d'Or contenders list.
As the calendar year comes to an end, the 30 nominees for this year's Ballon d'Or will be named early on Friday evening, with supporters eager to see which of their favourite footballers will be contesting for the prize this time out.
While the initial list that will be revealed today is a long one and will therefore feature a number of players who are not necessarily viewed as strong contenders, there are several stars whose names fans could anticipate being called out as the winner by France Football.
Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski, for example, is almost assured of a spot among the 30 candidates given his exploits over the course of the year. To date, the Poland international has scored more club goals than anyone else in 2021.
Despite being 33 years old, he has found the back of the net 39 times in just 30 appearances across all competitions for the German giants since January, while he has also claimed two club trophies in the form of the Bundesliga title and DFL-Supercup.
Following his performances for Italy at the 2020 UEFA European Championship and for Chelsea over the past 10 months, Jorginho is also tipped by many to be deserving of a final-three finish, and perhaps even of the individual accolade itself.
The holding midfielder was instrumental in Chelsea's resurgence after Thomas Tuchel replaced Frank Lampard in January, while he played an integral role in his nation's impressive Euro 2020-winning campaign, just a month after winning the UEFA Champions League with the Blues.
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The Brazil-born star could therefore be among the favourites for the award, along with Messi, whose displays for Argentina alone might earn him a place on the podium. After winning the Copa del Rey with Barcelona towards the end of last season, the 34-year-old produced the goods for his country in July.
Messi, a six-time Ballon d'Or winner, became the first player in international tournament history to finish a major competition as champion, player of the tournament, top goalscorer and top assist-provider.
You can see more potential candidates in the gallery above!
Here are the 10 leading club goalscorers in 2021 so far:
