International Football
Ballon d’Or shortlist; it’s Messi versus Man United and Liverpool stars
The full list of 30 names competing to win the Ballon d’Or has been published with Lionel Messi in contention to win his seventh crown.
The Paris Saint-Germain star, who left Barcelona this summer after 21 years at the club to join the Ligue 1 giants, has already won the award six times in his illustrious career.
But while the 34-year-old is the favourite to add to his collection, the Argentine magician could face competition from several Premier League stars.
Liverpool star Mohamed Salah, who finished in fourth in the 2019 edition, has been tipped to rival Messi for the award.
The Egyptian is the sole member from Liverpool this year after Jurgen Klopp’s side put in a disappointing title defence.
Just under half of the nominees on the 30-man shortlist are playing in the Premier League, with Chelsea and Manchester City each having five players represented.
The Blues have had four members of their Champions League-winning squad nominated, with Cesar Azpilicueta, N’Golo Kante, Jorginho and Mason Mount making the cut.
Their £97.5million summer signing Romelu Lukaku has also made the list, having scored 24 goals in the Serie A last season to help Inter Milan win the Serie A for the first time in 10 years.
But there was no place for Edouard Mendy, despite keeping 10 clean sheets in his 12 Champions League matches, with Italy’s Euro 2020 winning stopper Gianluigi Donnarumma the only goalkeeper on the list.
Man City have continued their tradition with having a player nominated every year since Pep Guardiola took over.
Guardiola’s side won the Premier League for the third time in four years and reached the Champions League final before a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Chelsea.
Ruben Dias, Riyad Mahrez, Kevin De Bruyne, Raheem Sterling and Phil Foden have all been included after a strong year for the English champions.
Manchester United ’s Portuguese duo Cristiano Ronaldo and Bruno Fernandes have been recognised for their efforts.
nd Harry Kane, who scored 23 goals in the Premier League to win the Golden Boot last season, is the only other English player included along with Mount and Sterling.
Robert Lewandowski is also thought to be vying with his fellow attackers for the gong, after scoring an incredible 41 goals in the Bundesliga last season to break Gerd Muller’s record.
However, the award was not presented in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, meaning Lewandowski could miss out on his maiden Ballon d’Or trophy.
The full 30-man shortlist for the 2021 Ballon d’Or:
- Cesar Azpilicueta (Spain/Chelsea)
- Nicolo Barella (Italy/Inter Milan)
- Karim Benzema (France/Real Madrid)
- Leonardo Bonucci (Italy/Juventus)
- Kevin De Bruyne (Belgium/Manchester City)
- Giorgio Chiellini (Italy/Juventus)
- Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal/Manchester United & Juventus)
- Ruben Dias (Portugal/Manchester City)
- Gianluigi Donnarumma (Italy/PSG)
- Bruno Fernandes (Portugal/Manchester United)
- Phil Foden (England/Manchester City)
- Erling Haaland (Norway/Borussia Dortmund)
- Harry Kane (England/Tottenham)
- Jorginho (Italy/Chelsea)
- N’Golo Kante (France/Chelsea)
- Simon Kjaer (Denmark/AC Milan)
- Robert Lewandowski (Poland/Bayern Munich)
- Romelu Lukaku (Belgium/Chelsea & Inter Milan)
- Riyad Mahrez (Algeria/Manchester City)
- Lautaro Martinez (Argentina/Inter Milan)
- Kylian Mbappe (France/PSG)
- Lionel Messi (Argentina/PSG & Barcelona)
- Luka Modric (Croatia/Real Madrid)
- Gerard Moreno (Spain/Villarreal)
- Mason Mount (England/Chelsea)
- Neymar (Brazil/PSG)
- Pedri (Spain/Barcelona)
- Mohamed Salah (Egypt/Liverpool)
- Raheem Sterling (England/Manchester City)
- Luis Suarez (Uruguay/Atletico Madrid)
Well-travelled Portuguese coach Paulo Duarte has been named as Guinea’s new coach, less than a month before their next round of World Cup qualifiers.
Duarte, 56, has twice previously coached Burkina Faso and taken charge of Gabon and Togo, while also coaching at clubs in Portugal, France, Tunisia, Angola and Saudi Arabia.
Guinea’s football federation gave no contract details when they made the announcement on Monday, but said they would be looking for Duarte to “restructure their national team”.
Guinea trail leaders Algeria by eight points in their World Cup qualifying group with four games remaining, leaving them with only a slim chance of qualification.
They play Somalia away on September 5 and then Algeria at home on September 8 in their next two qualifiers although a stadium ban means Guinea have moved their home game to Casablanca, Morocco.
-Reuters
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Veteran coach Louis van Gaal says he has been cured of cancer and is keen for a return to the higher levels of the game.
The 73-year-old announced three years ago that he was suffering from prostate cancer, but told a Dutch television talk show, “I’m no longer bothered by cancer.”
When he announced his illness, Van Gaal was the coach of the Dutch national team, but he has not worked since the last World Cup in Qatar in 2022.
“Two years ago, I had a few operations. It was all bad then. But it all worked out in the end. I have check-ups every few months, and that’s going well. I’m getting fitter and fitter,” he said.
Van Gaal, whose career has included stints at Ajax Amsterdam, Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Manchester United, reiterated a lack of interest in returning to club management but said becoming the national coach of a top-tier country could tempt him back.
He now serves as a special advisor to Ajax.
-Reuters
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In a compelling twist of football destiny, Davide Ancelotti is stepping into his own spotlight as he begins his first head coaching role at Brazilian club Botafogo—just months after parting ways with his legendary father, Carlo Ancelotti, at Real Madrid.
The 35-year-old has been appointed as Botafogo’s new manager, the club announced on Tuesday, following the sacking of Renato Paiva. Davide, who has spent the last decade working alongside his father at some of Europe’s top clubs—including Bayern Munich, Napoli, Everton, and Real Madrid—has signed a one-year deal with the Rio-based team.
This marks a significant milestone for the younger Ancelotti, whose career has long been shaped by his father’s influence, but who now faces the challenge of carving his own identity on the touchline.
The move comes shortly after both father and son departed Real Madrid at the end of last season, with Carlo taking over the Brazilian national team. Now, in a poetic alignment, father and son find themselves on different paths within Brazilian football—one leading the Seleção, the other steering the fortunes of a storied domestic club.
Botafogo’s decision to appoint Davide follows a controversial parting with Paiva, who was dismissed just days after their exit from the Club World Cup. Though he oversaw a stunning win over Champions League holders Paris Saint-Germain, a 1-0 extra-time loss to Palmeiras in the round of 16 proved to be his final act after just four months in charge.
As Davide Ancelotti begins this new chapter, all eyes will be on whether the son of one of football’s most decorated managers can step out from his father’s shadow—and perhaps, in time, build a legacy of his own.
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