Ballon d’Or 2021: Which Man Utd & Man City players have been nominated plus start time & where to watch

Who will win the 2021 Ballon d’Or? Credit: Getty.

The 2021 Ballon d’Or winner is set to be announced on Monday, with Manchester United and Manchester City both having nominees.

It’s not just the men’s award which is up for grabs, with the women’s prize also set to be handed out alongside the Kopa Trophy - given to the best male Under-21 player - and also the Yashin Trophy - for the best men’s goalkeeper.

This is the first time the awards will take place in two years, with the 2020 version cancelled due to Covid-19.

Lionel Messi, who won the 2019 edition, is favourite to collect the prize for a seventh time, while Robert Lewandowski is close behind with the next shortest odds. Karim Benzema, Mohamed Salah and Jorginho are also among the favourites to win the award.

Lionel Messi could win a seventh Ballon d’Or trophy. Credit: Getty.

When is the 2021 Ballon d’Or?

This year’s event takes place on Monday evening, at the Chatelet Theatre in Paris, and begins at 7:30pm.

How to watch the Ballon d’Or ceremony

The awards will be streamed live on L’Equipe’s YouTube channel from 7.30pm, while Eurosport will also show the ceremony on their website and app.

Which Manchester United players have been nominated?

Portuguese duo Bruno Fernandes and Cristiano Ronaldo are up for the award, although much of the latter’s 2021 was spent with Juventus.

Ronaldo last won the Ballon d’Or in 2017. Credit: Getty.

Ronaldo also represents Manchester’s best hopes of winning the trophy, according to the bookmakers, after a year in which the five-time Ballon d’Or winner broke the all-time record for the most international goals scored.

Only the great Lionel Messi has claimed the prize more times, with the Argentinian winning six Ballon d’Or trophies to date.

United could also boast of a winner in the Kopa Trophy, with youngster Mason Greenwood among the favourites to scoop the award.

Which Manchester City players have been nominated?

The Blues have five nominees in their ranks: Kevin De Bruyne, Ruben Dias, Phil Foden, Riyad Mahrez and Raheem Sterling.

Of the quintet, De Bruyne has the best odds of winning the Ballon d’Or, despite having a slow start to the 2021/22 season.

Kevin De Bruyne has never finished higher than ninth on the Ballon d’Or list. Credit: Getty.

Ederson is one of 10 goalkeepers up for the Yashin Trophy, along with the likes of Gianluigi Donnarumma, Edouard Mendy and Manuel Neuer.

England Women’s striker Ellen White is also up for the female award and is the only Manchester nominee in that category.

Men’s Ballon d’Or shortlist

Cesar Azpilicueta (Chelsea), Nicolo Barella (Inter Milan), Karim Benzema (Real Madrid), Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus), Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Ruben Dias (Manchester City), Gianluigi Donnarumma (Paris Saint-Germain), Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United), Phil Foden (Manchester City), Erling Haaland (Borussia Dortmund), Jorginho (Chelsea), Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur), N’Golo Kante (Chelsea), Simon Kjaer (AC Milan), Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich), Romelu Lukaku (Chelsea), Riyad Mahrez (Manchester City), Lautaro Martinez (Inter Milan), Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain), Lionel Messi (Paris Saint-Germain), Luka Modric (Real Madrid), Gerard Moreno (Villarreal), Mason Mount (Chelsea), Neymar (Paris Saint-Germain), Pedri (Barcelona), Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United), Mohamed Salah (Liverpool), Raheem Sterling (Manchester City), Luis Suarez (Atletico Madrid).