Ballon D'Or Voting Revealed: Messi Wins 7th Trophy; Ronaldo Finishes 6th in 30-Man Shortlist

Messi bested Robert Lewandowski, Jorginho and Karim Benzema to win another Ballon d'Or trophy.

The 2021 Ballon d'Or was handed out in Paris on Monday, where France Football once again crowned Lionel Messi as the best men's player in the world. Alexia Putellas, the Spain and Barcelona star, was named best women's player in the world to headline the festivities.

The 2020 edition was canceled on account of the pandemic, likely robbing Robert Lewandowski of what would have been his first award after a Champions League-winning season with Bayern Munich. The Polish striker was very much in the mix for the 2021 men's award, though, finishing second, while Jorginho, who won the Champions League with Chelsea and Euros with Italy, finished third. Cristiano Ronaldo finished out of the top three for the first time since 2010, winding up sixth in the voting.

The voting was conducted by journalists around the world, who pick a first-, second- and third-place finisher that they determine based on individual and collective honors (statistics, titles won, etc.), player talent and fair play and an overall view of the player's career. So while it is ostensibly meant to honor the best player of the calendar year, a wider scope can be taken when selecting the winner. 

France Football slowly unveiled the top 30 in the men's award voting throughout the course of the day, leading up to the main event in the French capital. Here is the final result:

29 (tied). Luka Modrić; Croatia, Real Madrid

29 (tied). César Azpilicueta; Spain, Chelsea

26 (tied). Nicolò Barella; Italy, Inter Milan

26 (tied). Gerard Moreno; Spain, Villarreal

26 (tied). Rúben Dias; Portugal, Manchester City

25. Phil Foden; England, Manchester City

24. Pedri; Spain, Barcelona

23. Harry Kane; England, Tottenham

21 (tied). Lautaro Martínez; Argentina, Inter Milan

21 (tied). Bruno Fernandes; Portugal, Manchester United

20. Riyad Mahrez; Algeria, Manchester City

19. Mason Mount; England, Chelsea

18. Simon Kjaer; Denmark, AC Milan

17. Luis Suárez; Uruguay, Atlético Madrid

16. Neymar; Brazil, PSG

15. Raheem Sterling; England, Manchester City

14. Leonardo Bonucci; Italy, Juventus

13. Giorgio Chiellini; Italy, Juventus

12. Romelu Lukaku; Belgium, Chelsea/Inter Milan

11. Erling Haaland; Norway, Borussia Dortmund

10. Gianluigi Donnarumma; Italy, PSG

9. Kylian Mbappé; France, PSG

8. Kevin De Bruyne; Belgium, Manchester City

7. Mohamed Salah; Egypt, Liverpool

6. Cristiano Ronaldo; Portugal, Manchester United

5. N'Golo Kanté; France, Chelsea

4. Karim Benzema; France, Real Madrid

3. Jorginho; Italy, Chelsea

2. Robert Lewandowski; Poland, Bayern Munich

1. Lionel Messi; Argentina, PSG/Barcelona

OFFICIAL: Lionel Messi won the 2021 Men's Ballon d'Or with 613 points, finishing 33 ahead of Robert Lewandowski in second place.#BallondOr pic.twitter.com/7OzT3NlhdU

— Squawka Live (@Squawka_Live) November 29, 2021