Lionel Messi, the 34-year-old midfielder, continues to write history in world football. The Argentine superstar (former of Barcelona) and now of Paris Saint-Germain became the top football player in the world for 2021, winning the 7th "Golden Ball" in the most important institution, organized by the authoritative and prestigious French magazine France Football and Greece the chief  editor of Discoveryfootball.com Manos Staramopoulos

The Ballon d'Or ceremony of France Football 2021 took place at the magnificent Théâtre du Châtelet, hosted by Didier Drogba and Sandy Heribert. In fact, the Alpine duo, Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon, took the two "Golden Balls" to the Teatré du Chatelet  to begin the historic award ceremony, wearing helmets.

So Messi last year achieved what he had been chasing for years. A great distinction with the national team of Argentina and he achieved it! The summer led his national team to the Copa América (equivalent to the European Championship) and this played the biggest role in its final dominance. He also scored 41 goals, had 21 assists in 56 games this year.

She also lifted the Copa del Rey (King's Cup) with Barcelona, ​​giving her the opportunity to reappear in the Champions League as she finished 3rd in La Liga. The impressions were stolen by the appearance of Lionel Messi with his three sons, who arrived at the gala for the awarding of the Golden Ball, wearing the same impressive suit with rhinestones.

From then on, the top 11 teams in the world for 2021 were formed, in order of reference (from the 2nd to the 11th), by: Robert Lewandowski, Jorginho, Karim Benzema, Ngolo Cante, Cristiano Ronaldo, Mohamed Salah, Kyllian Mpappe, Gigi Donaruma, Erling Haaland. Portuguese Cristiano Ronaldo was left out of the top five for the first time since 2010.

Messi who received the Golden Ball from the hands of his friend and former teammate, Luis Suarez said: “It is incredible to be here again. Two years ago I thought that it was my last year and now I am here again. I am very happy, very excited and wanting to fight for new challenges.

“I do not know how long I have left but I hope it will be a long time. I want to thank my teammates from Barcelona and PSG, and especially the Argentina team. I won this award and I had the feeling that I was missing something and this year I was able to achieve it.

“A large part of this trophy is because of what we did in the Copa America, so thanks to my teammates, this is also yours. My wife, my children, my father, my mother are here.

“It is a huge honor to fight with Robert (Lewandowski). Last year you were the winner and I think France Football should give it to you.”

PSG chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi gives his congratulations to Lionel Messi. “I would like to warmly congratulate Leo. It is a great pride for the club that one of our players has won the most prestigious and coveted title,” he says.

“Leo marks the history of football a little more. Like all our supporters around the world, we are delighted to see one of the greatest players of all time playing in the PSG kit.”

The final list  for the 2021 Ballon d’Or:

1st - Lionel Messi

2nd - Robert Lewandowski

3rd - Jorginho

4th - Karim Benzema

5th - N’Golo Kante

6th - Cristiano Ronaldo

7th - Mohamed Salah

8th - Kevin De Bruyne

9th - Kylian Mbappe

10th - Gianluigi Donnarumma

11th - Erling Haaland

12th - Romelu Lukaku

13th - Giorgio Chiellini

14th - Leonardo Bonucci

15th - Raheem Sterling

16th - Neymar

17th - Luis Suarez

18th - Simon Kjaer

19th - Mason Mount

20th - Riyad Mahrez

21st - Lautaro Martinez & Bruno Fernandes

23rd - Harry Kane

24th - Pedri

25th - Phil Foden

26th - Gerard Moreno, Ruben Dias & Nico Barrella

29th - Cesar Azpilicueta & Luka Modric

WORLD  STRIKER:

This year the French magazine also gave two new awards: One was for the best striker of the year received by the Polish forward of Bayern Munich, Robert Lewandowski, who scored 48 goals in 40 games, while sharing 9 assists. Then the top team of the year was the European champion, English Chelsea.

YACHINE  TROPHY:

The top goalkeeper was the Italian Gigi Donnaruma (former of Milan) and now of Paris Saint-Germain who won the European Championship with his national team in the summer. The European champions with Chelsea, Edouard Mendy, was second and the Spanish champions with Atletico Madrid, the Slovene, Jan Oblak, third. The second award "Lev Yassin" (awarded in memory of the great Russian goalkeeper, the only one who has won the Golden Ball) and the first to win it in 2019 was the Liverpool goalkeeper, Allison Becker.

The first 10 in detail:

1. Gianluigi Donnarumma (Italy, Milan)

2. Edouard Mendy (Senegal, Chelsea)

3. Jan Oblak (Slovenia, Atletico)

4. Enderson  (Brazil, Manchester City)

5. Manuel Neuer (Germany, Bayern)

6. Emiliano Martines (Argentina, Aston Villa)

7. Casper Schmeichel (Denmark, Leicester)

8. Thibaut Courtois (Belgium, Real)

8. Kaylor Navas (Costa Rica, Paris)

10. Samir Hadanovic  (Slovenia, Inter)

KOPA TROPHY:

The "Raymond Kopa" award, which is given to the best footballer under 21, (in memory of the first Frenchman to win the Golden Ball by Raymond Kopa) was won by the Spanish midfielder of Barcelona and the Spanish national team, Pedri. Second was the Englishman Jude Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund) and third was the German Jamal Musiala (Bayern Munich).

Detailed ranking:

1. Pedri (Spain, Barcelona)

2. Jude Billingham (England, Dortmund)

3. Jamal Musiala (Germany, Bayern)

4. Nuno Mendes (Portugal, Sporting)

5. Mason Greenwood (England, Manchester United)

6. Boukagioko  Saka (England, Arsenal)

7. Florian Wirz (Germany, Leverkusen)

8. Ryan Hrafenberch (Netherlands, Ajax)

9. Jeremy Doku (Belgium, Rennes)

10. Giovanni Reina (USA, Dortmund)

A special award was given to the captain of the Danish National Team, Simon Kjiaer, for the behavior of himself and his teammates in the bad event of the collapse of Christian Eriksen on the field, at the recent Euro.

Alexia Putellas Ballon D ;Or. The top player of the year was the 27-year-old Spaniard, Alexia Putellas  from Barcelona. He won the Champions League and the championship with Barcelona in the 2020/21 season. With the Blaugrana he conquered the treble. She lifted the Women's Champions League, the Spanish championship, but also the Cup. All this during the 2020/21 season. Barcelona's Jenny Hermoso, Chelsea's Sam Kerr and Arsenal's Viviane Miedema finished in the top four.