Ballon d’Or awards: Sam Kerr finishes second, Lionel Messi claims men’s award

Bonmati succeeds her international teammate Alexia Putellas as winner of the prize after inspiring Spain to glory at the Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand earlier this year.

The 25-year-old midfielder was named the best player at the World Cup as the Spanish team overcame off-field turbulence, including protests against their national federation and coach Jorge Vilda, to lift the trophy.

Bonmati also starred as Barcelona won the Champions League last season and was recently named as the UEFA Women’s Player of the Year.

She was one of four members of the triumphant Spain team to feature among the 30 nominees for the prize, with Alba Redondo, Salma Paralluelo and fullback Olga Carmona, who netted the winner in the final, all short-listed too.

Chelsea and Australia forward Sam Kerr came second in the final voting, with Paralluelo, a teammate of Bonmati’s at Barcelona, in third place.

Putellas, who also plays with Bonmati at Barcelona, was not nominated after missing almost all of last season with a serious knee injury.

Putellas had won the Ballon d’Or in each of the previous two campaigns. Norway’s Ada Hegerberg won the inaugural award in 2018 and USA star Megan Rapinoe succeeded her a year later.

There was no winner in 2020 due to the pandemic.

MESSI CLAIMS BALLON D’OR FOR EIGHTH TIME

Lionel Messi won the Ballon d’Or for the eighth time in his career at a star-studded ceremony in Paris on Monday.

Messi, 36, succeeds Karim Benzema as winner of the prize, awarded for his performances last season, when he inspired Argentina to glory at the World Cup.

It was his displays in Qatar, when Messi dragged his country to a victory that crowned his remarkable career, that allowed Messi to see off stiff competition from Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland in particular.

Haaland came second in the final voting, with M

bappe third and Kevin De Bruyne in fourth place.

Former Barcelona superstar Messi scored seven times at the World Cup and was named the tournament’s best player after Argentina beat France on penalties in the final in Doha.

Yet Messi, who won his first Ballon d’Or in 2009, also had an underwhelming final season at Paris Saint-Germain, before leaving to play for Inter Miami in Major League Soccer.

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His old PSG teammate Mbappe made his case with his remarkable performances at the World Cup, which he finished as the top scorer on eight goals after netting a hat-trick in the final for France.

Norway striker Haaland scored an incredible 52 goals in 53 games for Manchester City as Pep Guardiola’s side won the treble of English Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League.

He and De Bruyne were among members of that City team who were nominated.