A massive disruption in the football world has led to a shake-up in the 2020 Ballon D’Or odds, so we’re taking a look at who could come to the fore.
With Euro 2020 and Copa America tournaments postponed, plus major club competitions shut down, there is a more wide-open feel to this year’s betting market.
Here are the leading contenders for this most prestigious of individual player awards and their latest Ballon D’Or betting prices:
LIONEL MESSI @ 9/4
The 32-year-old picked up a record sixth Ballon D’Or last year, heading the polls for the first time since 2015 after not even making the top three in 2018. Was leading the way in La Liga scoring charts before play was postponed and many punters will feel Messi is well placed to prevail once more in a period when rising stars have fewer chances to make an impression.
CRISTIANO RONALDO @ 4/1
Five-time winner who has not been absent from the leading trio since 2010, so this is another obvious candidate already guaranteed of support as a global superstar with an incredible fan base. Has now fully settled in at Juventus, scoring 21 goals in Serie A, which is the same amount as he managed all last season. Hospital donations and wage deferrals went down well with the media, plus Pele recently put CR7 ahead of Messi in his personal pecking order.
KEVIN DE BRUYNE @ 5/1
Widely regarded within the game as one of the world’s top players after five trophy-laden years with Manchester City, but assists do not quite carry the same weight as goals scored and there is still a big question mark over whether his profile is prominent enough around the globe to claim this gong, having not even picked up a major individual gong in England for his Premier League exploits.
KYLIAN MBAPPE @ 5/1
Although still only 21, Mbappe has been touted as a future winner of this title for several years now and continues to set new age records both in Ligue 1 and the Champions League. The postponement of Euro 2020 may mean PSG have to conquer Europe to make this the breakthrough year, but they are already through to the quarter-finals if that competition can be completed.
SADIO MANE @ 8/1
Probably the best all-round player in Liverpool’s relentless march towards Premier League glory and is the current African Footballer of the Year. Crashing out of the Champions League was a big blow, but there is definitely some momentum behind Mane’s challenge.
NEYMAR @ 9/1
Hasn’t quite kicked on since finishing third behind Messi and Ronaldo in 2015 and 2017, with a switch to PSG knocking him slightly off the radar. Injury problems have also hampered Neymar this term, although he did score important goals in both legs of the Champions League victory over Borussia Dortmund.
ROBERT LEWANDOWSKI @ 10/1
Seems sure to wrap up a fifth Bundesliga Golden Boot gong in seven years and is also miles clear in the race to top the Champions League scoring charts. If Bayern Munich do come out on top in Europe’s elite club competition, Lewandowski will be hard to keep out of the leading trio here, especially as Poland’s lack of success at international level won’t be an issue this time around.
MOHAMED SALAH @ 12/1
In contention to complete a hat-trick of Premier League Golden Boot victories but falling behind Mane in the 2019 African Footballer of the Year voting after edging out his Anfield teammate in 2017 and 2018 does not augur well for this campaign.
VIRGIL VAN DIJK @ 16/1
Lost out to Messi by just seven votes in last year’s Ballon D’Or poll, finishing 203 clear of third-placed Ronaldo, but that means Fabio Cannavaro is still the last defender to prevail back in 2006.
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