Who will be the god of football this season?

The 2021/22 season promises to be one of the most intriguing in recent memory with top clubs vying for titles and trophies but which player will be the stand out individual performer? 

The Ballon d’Or is regarded as the most prestigious accolade any player can win as it rewards the best performer over the course of a whole season. The award has been dominated by Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo for over a decade but who’ll be the God of Football during the 2021/22 campaign? Let’s take a look at some of the contenders:

Lionel Messi

Arguably the greatest player of all time, it’s impossible to overlook the Argentinean superstar. Messi ended his long association with Barcelona this summer after making a shock move to Paris Saint-Germain where he’ll now be playing alongside Neymar and Kylian Mbappe up front.

Messi has moved to PSG to win another Champions League trophy and if he can land the Ligue 1 giants their first ever European Cup, then he’d be in pole position to win the Ballon d’Or – assuming he continues to score a ridiculous amount of goals in France.

The 35-year-old also helped Argentina win the Copa America in the summer so it’s going to be tough for any player to beat Messi to the award.

Cristiano Ronaldo

Messi’s closest rival could once again be his old foe Ronaldo. The Portuguese star has also moved clubs this summer after transferring back to Manchester United and he’s hit the ground running after scoring four times in his first five appearances.

Ronaldo will be targeting the Premier League title and will be hoping to help United challenge for the Champions League but the Manchester giants face stiff competition in both, so silverware is by no means guaranteed at Old Trafford.

If Messi ends up winning at least one major trophy and Ronaldo ends up empty handed, then the Argentinean could be favourite to be crowned the ‘God of Football’ once again this season.

Robert Lewandowski

If Messi and Ronaldo have below par seasons by their ridiculously high standards, then it will open the door for another player to win the Ballon d’Or and Robert Lewandowski could be the man to take full advantage.

The striker scored over 40 goals to help Bayern Munich land another Bundesliga title last season and if he can lead continue that form this year, then he could be a dark horse for the award.

Outsiders

Some Chelsea fans have called for Jorginho or N’Golo Kante to be handed the Ballon d’Or after they helped the club lift the Champions League last season while Erling Haaland has also been touted after scoring 41 goals for Borrusia Dortmund. Bruno Fernandes could also be a late shout for the award if he continues his excellent form at Manchester United but the smart money is on Messi to win yet another Ballon d’Or.