Benzema and Modric make shortlist for 2021 Ballon D’Or

Real Madrid stars Karim Benzema and Luka Modric have made France Football’s 30-player list to win the 2021 Ballon D’Or. They are the two only madridistas in the list. There are no clear, obvious favorites for this year’s award but it would be a surprise to see either Benzema or Modric among the final candidates to win the Ballon D’Or when neither one conquered a trophy this past season.

Still, Benzema’s strong start to the 2021-2022 season could increase his chances of winning what would be a great award for him, especially if he manages to keep performing at an elite level before the Christmas break.

Chelsea midfielder Jorginho would be one of the candidates to win the award after conquering the Champions League and the UEFA Euro with his club and the Italian national team. He was a crucial player in both teams, but it’s clear that there are other players better than him on the list. Lionel Messi, N’Golo Kante, Kylian Mbappe or Robert Lewandowski also feature among the candidates.