The 2021 Ballon d'Or awards ceremony was held on Monday night in Paris, where Lionel Messi extended his record over Cristiano Ronaldo to win the big prize. Robert Lewandowski, however, did not leave empty-handed. Here are the best pictures from the star-studded event!
Click through the gallery above to see some images from the 2021 Ballon d'Or awards ceremony!
The 34-year-old Argentina international scooped a seventh Ballon d'Or in Paris on Monday, beating Lewandowski to the award by just 33 points. Messi received 613 votes, while his counterpart was voted for 580 times.
Despite the disappointment for the Bayern Munich forward, though, he was handed the inaugural Striker of the Year accolade so he did not fly back to Germany without recognition for a remarkable year.
Kylian Mbappe, who finished in the top 10 for the prestigious men's prize, was in attendance to present Barcelona women's star Alexia Putellas her first Ballon d'Or, while the room was packed with more household names and faces.
Barcelona and Spain midfielder Pedri was named the winner of the Kopa Trophy, the prize given to the best young player over the calendar year. The 19-year-old's exploits for his country were enough to see him beat Borussia Dortmund's Jude Bellingham to the award.
Gianluigi Donnarumma, who left AC Milan to join PSG at the start of the season, celebrated a maiden Yashin Trophy after his outstanding performances for Italy at the 2020 UEFA European Championship.
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It was still Messi, though, who grabbed all the headlines following his record-extending victory for his achievements and displays for Barcelona and Argentina earlier this year.
Did you see the final 10-man Ballon d'Or ranking? Click through the pictures below:
