The drums of the Europa League have come to a standstill after the blazing 2021 season, and the Italians have taken home the glittering trophy. Meanwhile, Lionel Messi has led Argentina to the Copa America. Now, the much-anticipated Ballon d'Or odds list is freshly released, and Messi has undoubtedly become the favorite to win the trophy, and the return of the "King of the Ballon d'Or" seems to be a foregone conclusion.
According to the latest odds, Messi has a 1/2 chance of winning the Ballon d'Or, well ahead of the other contenders. He is followed by England's Harry Kane, with odds of 2. In the honor roll, Messi not only holds the Copa America title, but also has a bright spot in the number of individual goals and assists, and is the Copa America's best player alongside Neymar. Whether it's team honors or personal achievements, it all highlights the extraordinary charm of the "May Ball King". It is worth mentioning that Messi also won the Copa del Rey and La Liga top scorer two awards.
Harry Kane's performance has been a little bleaker in comparison. The England striker had a chance to turn things around in last season's Tottenham Hotspur-Mourinho drama with a string of goals in the Europa League, but unfortunately he failed to make a mark in the final, not only missing out on the title, but also failing to overtake Crowe to win the Golden Boot.
Elsewhere on the list, Lewandowski is as high as third, Crowe is fourth, De Bruyne is fifth, followed by Sterling, Kante, Jorginho, Mbappe, and Neymar. Despite their success in the Europa League or Copa America, and even having heavy honors at club level, the gap with Messi is still hard to bridge.
Messi has won the Ballon d'Or six times before, setting a world record. If he wins again this time, he will become the first player ever to win the Ballon d'Or seven times, rewriting his own legend once again.
