5 Ballon d'Or nominees who should be replaced by their teammates

The 30 men shortlist for Ballon d’Or 2021 is out. The list went through a lot of scrutiny from football fans, as is always the case. Since the sport has such a vast fanbase, it is impossible to satisfy each and every individual while handing out honors like these. On the other hand, it is also fair on the part of the fans to question decisions that seem unsatisfactory to them. And that’s what I am about to do. Here is a list of five players whom I think deserved a spot on the list more than their incumbent teammates.

1. Marcos Llorente in for Luis Suarez (Atletico Madrid)

We all know that Ballon d’Or, like most football awards, is somewhat biased towards forwards. Now, Suarez was absolutely crucial in Atletico's La Liga victory but he wasn’t their best player. One could make a case for both Marcos Llorente and Jan Oblak being more decisive. My pick here would be Llorente simply because of his versatility. Be it a second striker, a central midfielder, or a right midfielder, he succeeded in every role. In terms of numbers, he racked up 12 goals and 13 assists in La Liga compared to Suarez’s 21 goals and 3 assists. But Llorente’s contribution went far beyond these, he would defend, he would pass, he would dribble. Basically, he had a hand in anything and everything that was happening on the pitch.

2. Antonio Rudiger in for Cesar Azpilicueta (Chelsea)

I am a huge admirer of Azpilicueta and feel he is quite underrated. But Rudiger has been something else under Thomas Tuchel. He was the foundation around which Tuchel built his Champions League-winning team. Rudiger’s commanding presence allowed Chelsea to keep so many clean sheets. At the same time, he was also a key ball carrier for them, making aggressive runs into enemy territory. I personally feel there was space for both Rudiger and Azpilicueta on the list (could easily remove a few more forwards). But in case we had to pick one, Rudiger gets the nod.

3. Ilkay Gundogan in for Phil Foden (Manchester City)

I have a bone to pick with Raheem Sterling’s selection ahead of Joao Cancelo too. But I would let that go for now since Sterling was so so good at the Euros. Coming to the case at hand, between December 2020 and March 2021, City went on a long winning streak that ultimately helped them seal their 3rd title in 4 years. During this period, Gundogan almost averaged a goal per game. Despite the abundance of attacking talent that City possessed, he, a central midfielder, was their top scorer across all competitions. Gundogan’s prolificity allowed the Sky Blues to thrive in the absence of a regular №9. While Foden had been a real revelation last season, and many more Ballon d’Or nominations await him in the future (possibly a few wins too), we can think of a better suitor this year.

4. Achraf Hakimi in for Neymar (Paris Saint Germain)

I know this replacement isn’t as straightforward since Hakimi just joined PSG in the summer. No problem, we can have him in for Lautaro Martinez (his former teammate from Inter and another striker, duh!). Bottom line is, Hakimi should be on this list. He was one of Inter’s most important players in their historic Serie A win (7 goals and 10 assists, not bad for a wingback) and has been PSG’s best player since his arrival (more goal contributions than Neymar). Also, Neymar hasn’t had the best of seasons, with PSG finishing behind Lille in the league and losing out to Manchester City in the UCL semifinal. While he did carry Brazil to the Copa America final, I didn’t see Paolo Guerrero (of Peru) getting a nomination in 2019 for the same.

5. Federico Chiesa in for Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus)

I know this proposition goes against our theme of defenders in attackers out, but hear me out. Bonucci and Chiellini had a below-par 20–21 season with Juventus. The only reason they are on this list is because of Italy’s Euro win, where they had a critical hand. But so did Chiesa, even more so than anyone else in the knockout stages. His goals vs Austria and Spain took them to the final, where again his liveliness and trickery caused all sorts of trouble for the English. In addition, Chiesa was actually pretty good in 20-21 for Juventus, who would have missed out on a Champions League spot in his absence. We’ve cut Bonucci some slack since he scored the equalizer in the final and picked Chiellini as the one to be replaced.