FIFA Ballon d'Or 2021 finalists: Full list of nominees for men's & women's awards, Kopa and Yashin trophy

Goal.com

FIFA Ballon d'Or 2021 finalists: Full list of nominees for men's & women's awards, Kopa and Yashin trophy image

France Football released the shortlist of finalists for each of its major 2021 awards: the Ballon d'Or for male players, the Ballon d'Or for female players, the Kopa Trophy for best young player (Under-21), and the Yashin Trophy for best goalkeeper.

The U.S. men's national team's 18-year-old star Giovanni Reyna is in the running for the Kopa award, while U.S. women's national team midfielder Samantha Mewis is among 20 candidates to win the women's Ballon d'Or.

Below is a breakdown of the finalists for each award, together with their club affiliation and national team. The last time these awards were handed out was 2019, as France Football scratched the 2020 honors due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

How are the FIFA Ballon d'Or nominees selected?

According to France Football, a panel of 180 journalists from around the world determined the 30 candidates for the men's Ballon d'Or, while a group of 50 international journalists settled on the 20 nominees for the women's award.

The 10 Yashin Trophy finalists are selected by the same panel that picks the men's Ballon d'Or. 

They take journalists out of the picture entirely when it comes to the Kopa Trophy: A group of 32 past Ballon d'Or winners designate the 10 Under-21 players in the running for the top young player award.

When is the 2021 Ballon d'Or winner announced?

Now that the lists are out, the voting process begins.

A selection of international journalists, national team coaches and captains will be polled to determine the winners, with each voter being asked to pick out their top five.

Once that process has been completed, the prestigious prizes will be handed out at a glitzy ceremony in Paris on November 29.

2021 FIFA Ballon d'Or Finalists (Men)

There are a total of 30 finalists with many of the big names you'd expect to see there. In recent months there has been a campaign for Chelsea midfielders Jorginho and N'Golo Kante to win the award given the role they played in Chelsea winning the UEFA Champions League. Jorginho was also a cog in the Italy team that won Euro 2021.

Messi was the last player to win this award in 2019 for a record sixth time. Messi and his eternal rival Ronaldo have shared 11 of the last 12 Ballons d’Or between them, with Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric the only man to have broken their duopoly in 2018.

Name Position Club National Team
Cesar Azpilicueta DF Chelsea Spain
Nicolo Barella MF Inter Milan Italy
Karim Benzema FW Real Madrid France
Leonardo Bonucci DF Juventus Italy
Giorgio Chiellini DF Juventus Italy
Kevin De Bruyne MF Manchester City Belgium
Ruben Dias DF Manchester City Portugal
Gianluigi Donnarumma GK PSG Italy
Bruno Fernandes MF Manchester United Portugal
Phil Foden FW Manchester City England
Erling Haaland FW Borussia Dortmund Norway
Jorginho MF Chelsea Italy
Harry Kane FW Tottenham Hotspur England
N'Golo Kante MF Chelsea France
Simon Kjaer DF AC Milan Denmark
Robert Lewandowski FW Bayern Munich Poland
Romelu Lukaku FW Chelsea Belgium
Riyad Mahrez FW Manchester City Algeria
Lautaro Martinez  FW Inter Milan Argentina
Kylian Mbappe FW PSG France
Lionel Messi FW PSG Argentina
Luka Modric MF Real Madrid Croatia
Gerard Moreno  FW Villarreal Spain
Mason Mount MF Chelsea England
Neymar FW PSG Brazil
Pedri MF FC Barcelona Spain
Cristiano Ronaldo FW Manchester United Portugal
Mohamed Salah FW Liverpool Egypt
Raheem Sterling  FW Manchester City England
Luis Suarez FW Atletico Madrid Uruguay

2021 FIFA Ballon d'Or Finalists (Women)

The nominees for the women's award total 20, including Sam Kerr, Pernille Harder, and Vivianne Miedema making the list.

The last winner was Megan Rapinoe in 2019, but she wasn't among the final candidates. Mewis is the only American nominee.

Alexia Putellas, who won this year's UEFA Women's Player of the Year award is on the list, as well as three major contributors for Canada's Olympic gold medal winners: Jessie Fleming, Ashley Lawrence and Christine Sinclair.

Name Position Club National Team
Stina Blackstenius FW BK Hacken Sweden
Kadidiatou Diani FW PSG France
Christiane Endler GK Olympique Lyon Chile
Magdalena Eriksson DF Chelsea Sweden
Jessie Fleming MF Chelsea Canada
Pernille Harder FW Chelsea Denmark
Jennifer Hermoso FW FC Barcelona Spain
Marie-Antoinette Katoto FW PSG France
Sam Kerr FW Chelsea Australia
Fran Kirby FW Chelsea England
Ashley Lawrence DF PSG Canada
Lieke Martens MF FC Barcelona Netherlands
Samantha Mewis MF NC Courage USA
Vivianne Miedema FW Arsenal Netherlands
Sandra Panos GK FC Barcelona Spain
Irene Paredes DF FC Barcelona Spain
Alexia Putellas MF FC Barcelona Spain
Wendie Renard DF Olympique Lyon France
Christine Sinclair  FW Portland Thorns Canada
Ellen White FW Manchester City England

2021 FIFA Kopa Trophy finalists

Name Position Club National Team
Jude Bellingham MF Borussia Dortmund England
Jeremy Doku FW Rennes Belgium
Ryan Gravenberch MF Ajax Netherlands
Mason Greenwood FW Manchester United England
Nuno Mendes DF PSG Portugal
Jamal Musiala MF Bayern Munich Germany
Pedri MF FC Barcelona Spain
Giovanni Reyna MF Borussia Dortmund USA
Bukayo Saka FW Arsenal England
Florian Wirtz MF Bayer Leverkusen Germany

2021 FIFA Yashin Trophy finalists

Name Position Club National Team
Thibaut Courtois GK Real Madrid Belgium
Gigi Donnarumma GK PSG Italy
Ederson GK Manchester City Brazil
Samir Handanovic GK Inter Milan Slovenia
Emiliano Martínez GK Aston Villa Argentina
Edouard Mendy GK Chelsea Senegal
Keylor Navas GK PSG Costa Rica
Manuel Neuer GK  Bayern Munich Germany
Jan Oblak GK Atletico Madrid Slovenia
Kasper Schmeichel GK Leicester City Denmark

Goal.com

Goal.com Photo

Football news, results and transfers from Goal.com