It’s almost that time of the year where the yearly hard work of the best football player gets an award. Yes, the Ballon d’Or is here! There are a lot of players who have played impressive football this year like Robert Lewandowski or how the fans call him after his overpowering season with Bayern Munich in 2020, ‘Lewangoalski!’, The Italian midfield maestro Jorginho, Chelsea star midfielder N’Golo Kante and of course the two G.O.A.T- Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo! But, the time is not that far when we see the little magician Lionel Messi lift his 7th Ballon d’Or of his football career as he has had a fantabulous year of raining goals! After winning a well-deserved and his first-ever International trophy, the Copa America 2021, Messi has checked all the boxes to favour winning this year’s Ballon d’Or. The left-footed wizard has ended Argentina’s 29- year old international trophy curse by scoring four goals and five assists, including two stunning free-kicks that left everyone in awe. He also scored a penalty against Bolivia, where the team won 4-1. 
Other than Copa America, Messi’s overall performance this season for Barcelona has been out of the world as always! He scored 30 magnificent goals along with eight cheeky assists. Messi has won Player of the Tournament for almost every match in Copa America, and he also won the Golden Boot. With these unreal stats, it is tough for any other player to grab the Ballon d’Or. Even though he failed to get his hands on the La Liga title or the UEFA Champions League title, the Argentinean won the Copa Del Rey cup against Sevilla. The toughest competition Lionel has right now for the Ballon d’Or is the Polish striker Robert Lewandowski. He has registered 34 goals this season, along with four assists. Lewandowski also won the Bundesliga and the Club World Cup, making him a good candidate for the Ballon d’Or. Barcelona had a bad start to the 2020 La Liga season. Still, Messi’s unrealistic efforts brought them back in the race to the title alongside the Spanish giants- Real Madrid and Athletico Madrid. The stats, the awards, the cups, and mainly the performance Lionel Messi did this year has made him a favourite for the Ballon d’Or, and it will take something really out of this world to take the Ballon d’Or away from this Barcelonan genius!