Has Messi Won His Last Ballon d'Or? Who Is Favourite To Take His Crown?

Mohamed Salah

Liverpool sensation Mo Salah was duped by Messi in the 2021 Ballon d'Or ceremony. For years now, Salah has put out an incredible display of football and has even broken goalscoring records. Right now, in his 5th year with the Reds, Salah is still maintaining an astonishing football record. Across 18 of his appearances, he has managed to score 17 goals. This year, it is expected that Salah will receive more trophies under Liverpool. Further, on top of his club success, he should help Egypt launch themselves into the Qatar World Cup. With metrics like this, it seems highly probable that Salah will pick up Messi’s mantle. 

We’re confident enough that Salah will see a Ballon d'Or in the near future that you should make the most of these 888sport free bet offers and put your money where your mouth is.

N’Golo Kante

Chelsea star N’Golo Kante has cemented himself as one of the greatest midfielders in the world. His skills haven’t gone unnoticed because he came 5th in the running for the Ballon d'Or in 2021. Despite being highly regarded his lower goal count is letting him down. Hopefully, if the man can continue to put on a phenomenal show and lift Chelsea to another UEFA Champions League win, he can take the crown he rightly deserves. 

Erling Haaland

Erling Haaland is well set to become football’s leader of the next generation. Some critics go as far to say that Haaland and Mbappe will battle it out and fill in the shoes of Messi and Ronaldo. At only 21, Haaland has scored consistent goals with Dortmund. Outstandingly, across 70 appearances he has found the back of the net 71 times. If Haaland can continue with his high conversion whilst adding silver to his trophy cabinet, there’s no reason why he can’t pick up a Ballon d'Or or seven across his career. 

Kylian Mbappe

Kylian Mbappe is regarded as one of the most promising youngsters in football and is favourite to take over Messi and Ronaldo as the best in the game. Mbappe is only 22 years old but has already won the 2018 World Cup alongside France. Further, he’s dominated the French football scene with his team Paris Saint-Germain. All this young star needs to do is carry on winning games. 

Unfortunately, Mbappe shares a team with the current Ballon d'Or star Messi, and Neymar, which means he won’t be able to steal the spotlight. However, there are rumours that Mbappe could transfer to Real Madrid. If the rumour comes to fruition, he will be able to set himself aside in a class of his own. 

Robert Lewandowski

Before the world shut down in 2020, Robert Lewandowski was expected to win the Ballon d'Or. When football resumed for fans in 2021, he was once again favoured to win the award. Unfortunately, he was beaten to the punch by none other than Messi. Lewandowski has scored an impressive 28 goals across 107 games from 2019. Despite being 33, there is no sign that he’s dropping the ball; he’s scored 25 goals in 20 games during the 2021-22 season. 

The era of Messi domination at the Ballon d'Or needs to come to an end. This will pave the way for new brilliant talent to pick up the crown. From stars in their 30s who have consistently been snubbed to rising heroes, there are plenty of players who are worthy of Messi’s crown. Who do you think will be the next football big shot?