Chelsea has taken home some of football’s most prestigious awards over the last calendar year. The Blues are reigning Champions of Europe and UEFA Super Cup holders, as well. They have also had success at the individual level with a handful of players taking home trophies at the Champions League draw award ceremony. Thomas Tuchel won UEFA Manager of the Year, Edouard Mendy won UCL Goalkeeper of the Year, N’Golo Kante won UCL Midfielder of the Year and Jorginho took home the UEFA Men’s Player of the Year. There is still silverware to be won though.
A Chelsea player has rarely ever come within reach of winning football’s most prestigious individual award, the Ballon d’Or. Nevertheless, there are multiple Blues who will be vying for the trophy this season. The French Football award is back after a one year hiatus (COVID-19’s impact) and it will be presented on November 29. Chelsea was expected to have numerous individuals in the running for the award and although there is only a realistic chance for one or two of them to win, the 30-man nominee list included a few surprises. The shortlist included five players who were instrumental in the Blues’ Champions League run last season. It goes without saying that although there are some pleasant surprises, there are also some snubs. Many felt the most notable was goalkeeper Edouard Mendy. Regardless, the Senegalese shot stopper still has the rest of his career ahead of him. If he continues on the path he’s on, his name will undoubtedly be on a similar list in 2022.
Here are Chelsea’s five Ballon d’Or candidates ranked by their likelihood to win the award:
5. Cesar Azpilicueta
Cesar Azpilicueta being nominated for a Ballon d’Or just feels right. The Spaniard has been crucial to the Blues’ success over the last eight years, playing a major role in a fair share of trophy pursuits. Azpilicueta has become a jack of all trades—somehow a master of them all too—in defense under numerous different managers. Every Chelsea fan knows Jose Mourinho’s famous quote about a team of Azpilicueta’s and part of the reason it’s so popular is because there’s truth behind it. A left back under The Special One, a right centerback under Antonio Conte, a right back under Maurizio Sarri and a fullback under Frank Lampard, the skipper has truly done it all.
Azpilicueta’s future in SW6 came under question when Lampard turned to Reece James as his starting right back during the end of his tenure. The club captain still played semi-regularly but not as often as he would’ve liked. It’s become obvious that Azpilicueta still has a lot left in the tank. Thomas Tuchel quickly discovered this as his arrival meant the versatile defender slotted back into the starting XI. “Dave” has hardly missed a game since and he’s been deployed as a right centerback in the 3-4-3, as well as a right wingback at times.
The 32-year-old is undoubtedly one of the most underrated players in the Premier League, if not the world. However, the likelihood of him ever winning a Ballon d’Or is slim to none. This isn’t an indictment of Azpilicueta either, defenders just don’t get enough respect in the voting. Being named on the shortlist alone is enough for Azpilicueta as it’s nice to know his greatness is finally getting some recognition.
4. Mason Mount
Azpilicueta in fifth and now Chelsea’s star-boy in fourth? The depth on this list is truly unbelievable. Mason Mount improved on his incredible debut season last year as he nailed down his spot in the starting XI under two gaffers. Many didn’t know how he’d perform under a manager not named Lampard, but the English midfielder got even better. He has become instrumental to the way the Blues play with his endless energy, movement off the ball and pressing ability. Mount’s absence was felt against Manchester City as Chelsea struggled to play from out the back. The 22-year-old provides a reliable link between the back line and forwards.
Mount’s surface stats are nothing eye-popping—nine goals and assists last season in all competitions—but they were important contributions. He won the Blues crucial points down the stretch in the Premier League and his efforts in the UCL cannot go unnoticed either. Nevertheless, perhaps the most impressive numbers associated with Mount are his matches played. He played in 54 games, tallying over 4,200 minutes. Mount wasn’t limited to a certain spot either. He lined up in a handful of set positions under two different managers, including winger, attacking midfielder and central midfielder.
For all of these efforts, Mount was awarded Chelsea’s Player of the Year award during his sophomore campaign with the west London club. Unfortunately, this won’t earn him anything more than brownie points when it comes to Ballon d’Or voting. Mount’s gotten off to a slow start this season and if he wanted any chance of finishing near the top, he needed to be stellar. There is no need to worry though, Mount has an entire career ahead of him to pick up individual accolades.
3. Romelu Lukaku
Romelu Lukaku is the odd man out on this list. He is the only one of the five included to not play for the Blues last season. Regardless, his contributions at Inter Milan last season more than make up for his lack of Champions League and Super League trophies. Lukaku led the line alongside Lautaro Martinez in Conte’s Internazionale side that won the Scudetto for the first time in a decade. The Belgian No. 9 is one of the best strikers in world football and his individual stats more than speak for themselves.
Lukaku scored 30 goals in all competitions, including 24 in 36 Serie A games. However, one of the biggest perks of playing in a striker partnership is the assist totals. The 28-year-old tacked on double digit assists throughout the year to bring his goal contribution total to 40 on the year under Conte. Although Tuchel has come under fire from critics—Conte included—early on for his usage of Lukaku, Chelsea’s club-record signing has still gotten off to a fast start in SW6. He’s played in nine games thus far and scored four goals. The best is yet to come, which is why Lukaku finds himself in a position to finish high in the Ballon d’Or voting.
Another thing that helps Lukaku’s cause is his performance for the Belgian National Team. Belgium was only able to make the quarterfinals of Euro 2020 (losing 2-1 to eventual champion Italy), but Lukaku had a stellar tournament. He scored four goals, which was the second-highest total of any individual at the tournament, only behind Patrik Schick and Cristiano Ronaldo. Lukaku has added another four international goals in three games since he joined the Blues, as well.
Overall, Lukaku is expected to finish pretty high on the list. Ballon d’Or voters absolutely love forwards and it’s difficult to find many others better than the Belgian.
2. N’Golo Kante
Kante has been world class since joining Chelsea. He’s a man that never fails to rise to the occasion, whether it be throughout an entire Premier League campaign or on one leg in the Europa League final against a bitter rival. On his day, Kante is undoubtedly the best defensive midfielder on the planet. Even on his off days, he’s developed into an elite box-to-box player. Tuchel has helped the Frenchman elevate his game even more as a part of a midfield pivot that made the Blues so defensively sound last season.
Kante showed his world class abilities throughout the year, despite battling injuries early on. The most notable instance of this was the unprecedented run he went on in the Champions League knockout rounds. Kante earned an astonishing three Man of the Match awards in the latter stages of the competition. The impressive part of this feat? They came in the two semifinals and the final. Whether the Blues’ tactics were to control possession and press high up the pitch—as they did against Real Madrid—or absorb pressure during the final, Kante was up to the task. He essentially accounted for multiple men in midfield and did the dirty work, which let Jorginho perfect his craft as conductor. Kante’s tackling ability and positioning saw him cut out countless counter attacks. If not for the 30-year-old, Chelsea would not have won the Champions League. His name won’t be attached to any sexy stat sheets from the run, but he was instrumental.
Unfortunately, in order for a defensive midfielder to win the award, he’d need some help. France needed to go on a deep run in Euro 2020 in order for Kante to really have any chance at the Ballon d’Or. A disappointing tournament for Didier Deschamps’ side meant this was unlikely. This stance was cemented by the lackluster start Kante has had to the 2021/22 campaign. He’s found himself sidelined with injuries and COVID-19 thus far. There’s no doubt he’ll be back stronger than before, he is just too far behind with too little time to catch up. Expect a career-high finish for the lovable Frenchman in the voting though.
1. Jorginho
One year ago, Jorginho was a divisive figure in the Chelsea team. He didn’t exactly fit into the type of midfield Lampard was trying to construct, which raised questions about his future at Stamford Bridge. His past association to Sarri furthered those doubts from a vocal minority in the fanbase. Regardless, the Brazilian-born Italian international put his head down and went to work. Tuchel’s appointment was massive for the maestro’s career as the midfield pivot ahead of the back three allowed Jorginho to do what he does best and conduct play from the middle of the park. Jorginho became undroppable in the Blues’ starting XI—regardless of which partner he was paired with, Kante or Mateo Kovacic.
Jorginho played a huge part in Chelsea winning the European double (Champions League and Super Cup), as well as Italy’s winning run in Euro 2020. A triple European champion doesn’t come around often, so that’ll surely earn him some style points. Jorginho also took home UEFA’s Men’s Player of the Year award earlier this season. These four trophies are going to be hard for anybody at Chelsea to beat out for the award, let alone anyone in Europe.
The unfortunate reality that has been brought up numerous times already is that it is nearly impossible for anybody but a forward to bring home the Ballon d’Or. The last person as defense-oriented as Jorginho to win the award was Fabio Cannavaro back in 2006. Otherwise it’s been a healthy dose of Lionel Messi, Ronaldo and a dash of attacking midfielders. One can make a case that Jorginho’s CV is similar to that of Luka Modric though, who won the award back in 2018. Jorginho was one of the Blues’ highest scorers in all competitions last year, scoring seven penalties in the Premier League to lead the team’s goalscoring domestically. Unlike his midfield colleague, Jorginho has picked up right where he left off this season. This only helps his cause.
There is no doubting the fact that players like Robert Lewandowski and Messi prove worthy challengers for the Ballon d’Or to Jorginho. Nevertheless, nobody has been as important to either his club or country as the midfield maestro over the last year. Jorginho’s got the silverware to back it up, can he bring home football’s most prestigious individual award next month?
Which Chelsea star do you think has the best chance to win the Ballon d’Or? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter!