Five Chelsea men and five Chelsea women nominated for 2021 Ballon d’Or

The official shortlist for the 2021 Ballon d’Or was revealed yesterday, and among the 30 names were 5 current Chelsea players.

They included the expected duo of UEFA Midfielder of the Year N’Golo Kanté and UEFA Player of the Year Jorginho, as well as Chelsea Player of the Year Mason Mount, Chelsea captain César Azpilicueta, and Romelu Lukaku (for his goals Inter Milan). (Would love to see Kanté win it, but it’s Messi’s or Lewandowski’s to lose, I’m guessing.)

UEFA Goalkeeper of the Year Édouard Mendy did not get nominated for the Ballon d’Or, but he is one of the ten goalkeepers nominated for the Yashin Trophy. (Mendy’s surely got this.)

Meanwhile, former Chelsea prospect Jamal Musiala is one of the ten under-21 nominees for the Kopa Award. (Jude Bellingham maybe?)

On the women’s side (awarded since 2018), Chelsea also have 5 players among the just 20 nominees, including all three of the dynamic trio of Sam Kerr, Fran Kirby, and Pernille Harder, as well as captain Magda Eriksson and Jessie Fleming (for her goals for Canada at the Olympics). (Guessing someone from Barcelona will win this.)

Congrats to all eleven players!

The winners will be announced on November 29. No Chelsea player has ever won the Ballon d’Or (Ruud Gullit, George Weah, and Andriy Shevchenko all did before coming to Chelsea though). Frank Lampard came closest in 2005 when he finished second to Ronaldinho.