The 65th “Golden Ball” Award ceremony, organized by France Football, took place on Monday at the Théâtre Chatelet in Paris.
Argentine striker “Paris Saint-Germain” and Argentina national team Lionel Messi was named the best footballer of 2021 according to the voting results.
For 34-year-old Messi, this “Golden Ball” Award was the seventh in his career. Previously, the trophy was submitted to him in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015 and 2019. In 2020, the prize was not awarded due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The second place in the voting for the most prestigious personal award in football in 2021 was taken by forward of Bayern and the Polish national team Robert Lewandowski. Third place - Jorginho from “Chelsea”.
The “Golden Ball” Award has been awarded in France since 1956 at the initiative of France Football magazine editor Gabriel Anaud. The winner is determined by sports journalists from different countries by voting. In 2010, the award was renamed
“FIFA Golden Ball” Award following the merger of “Golden Ball of France Football” and “FIFA Player of the Year”, but since 2016 the two awards have again been awarded separately.