Can Chelsea’s Jorginho win football’s biggest individual award?
Chelsea won the Champions League a little over a month ago now. When the Blues secured the trophy thanks in part to a heroic N’Golo Kante performance, many tipped him as a serious candidate for football’s most prestigious individual award. It’s not too farfetched to think about either. After all, Eden Hazard and Kante have come closest to winning the Ballon d’Or (finishing 8th in 2015 and ’18 respectively) since Didier Drogba, who came in fourth in 2007. No Chelsea player has ever won the award, Frank Lampard finishing runner-up in 2005 is the closest the Blues have come.
Despite all of this talk around Kante, France’s early Euro 2020 exit has seen those dreams seemingly shatter. It’ll now be increasingly difficult for the beloved midfielder to win the award after missing out on another major trophy. However, Les Bleus’ departure opens the door for another Chelsea midfielder to potentially climb the Ballon d’Or rankings. If Italy goes on to hoist the trophy at the Euros, could Jorginho potentially win the Ballon d’Or?
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Could Jorginho win the Ballon d’Or after Chelsea’s Champions League victory if Italy wins the Euros?
First things first, it’s important to understand where this discussion began. Jorginho’s Italy teammate Lorenzo Insigne singled his former Napoli teammate out as an important compatriot during the Euros. The 30-year-old gave the Blues’ maestro plaudits for his club accomplishments and discussed his important in Roberto Mancini’s side as the dictator of tempo. Insigne thinks Jorginho deserves to at least be on the shortlist for Ballon d’Or and it got everybody wondering.
As far as accolades go, one would be hard pressed to find a footballer more decorated when it comes to important awards should Jorginho triumph at the Euros. As was the case with Kante, a resume that includes the Champions League and European Championship is going to be in the conversation every day of the week and twice on Sunday. The two midfielders are vastly different in style though. Kante seems to be more respected worldwide as many still have yet to find an appreciation for the art form that is Jorginho’s adept game. This is perhaps where he takes the biggest hit.
Jorginho may not have won Man of the Match awards in the UCL final or both semifinal legs, but he was a daunting figure for the opposition in both. In fact, to say the Italian played a pivotal role in the Blues’ international campaign is an understatement. He played 90 minutes in nine of the 13 games Chelsea played, starting all but one (suspension). The regista’s one goal and one assist in the Champions League are nothing to write home about, nor should a defensive midfielder’s stats be. That being said, his goal against Krasnodar kept the Blues unbeaten throughout the tournament and the goal he assisted on against Porto was ultimately the difference in the tie. It’s hard to imagine Thomas Tuchel’s men lifting the trophy at the end of the year with Jorginho out of the picture.
For those who love to fawn over stats, look no further than the midfield conductor’s Premier League campaign. Jorginho tallied a whopping seven goals—albeit all from spot kicks—and finished as the Blues’ top scorer in the league. Three of his goals ultimately proved decisive as he earned Chelsea seven points from the penalty spot. Without these results, Tuchel would’ve ultimately failed to secure a top four spot. In the long run the significance of that was null and void seeing as the Blues won the Champions League. However, in a competitive field like that for the Ballon d’Or, it’s a checked box on Jorginho’s resume. He’s at a disadvantage already as players like Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, Cristiano Ronaldo and Erling Haaland rack up statistics like nobody’s business. Jorginho needs all the help he can get in that department.
In the end, it’s going to be incredibly tough for Jorginho to hoist the Ballon d’Or in December. Before even worrying about other competition though, he needs to continue to guide Italy through the knockout stages at Euro 2020. If gli Azzurri can navigate their way to a victory this summer and Jorginho picks up right where he left off in London, he’s made a serious case to at least be on the shortlist as Chelsea’s highest finisher since Kante three years ago. Crazier things than Jorginho winning Ballon d’Or have happened before, so don’t rule it out, but don’t go seeking out a bookie for this bet just yet.
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Do you think Jorginho has a shot at the Ballon d’Or? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter!