Ballon d'Or winner revealed in leaked list

Bayern Munich forward Robert Lewandowski is seen as the winner in a leaked image of the alleged results

This year's Ballon d'Or has been stirring up the headlines, with the eventual winner being more difficult to predict than previous years. However, a recent leak has allegedly revealed last year's favourite, Robert Lewandowski, as the winner of the 2021 award.

It may be remembered that the 2020 edition of the prestigious award was cancelled due to the fact that the novel coronavirus pandemic disrupted football matches across the globe for many months. The Bayern Munich forward was widely believed to be the front-runner for the prize, but he missed out on the opportunity due to the cancellation.

It was a big deal to have the Polish player as the favourite, owing to the fact that only Luka Modric has broken the dominance of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, who have won the trophy 11 times between them.

This year, the mix is even more diverse, with Real Madrid forward Karim Benzema making a strong case for himself. He has been in scorching form for the Spanish giants, and has also led France to the Nations League title just months into his return to national team duty.

Chelsea midfielder Jorginho is also a top contender, owing to their UEFA Champions League victory and Italy's Euro 2020 title.

While everyone is busy speculating, a leaked image appears to show that the voting has gone in Lewandowski's favour. The Bayern star is alleged to have received 627 votes, while Messi comes in second just ahead of Benzema.

Of course, the leak can't be verified just yet, with the official announcement set for November 29. However, with the voting now closed, it is possible that the result has been decided and the tally is accurate. The veracity of the image is also given more credibility by the fact that a similar leak revealed the 2018 results, wherein Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric came out as the winner.

Interestingly, the leaked list shows five-time winner Cristiano Ronaldo all the way down in ninth place.

Leaked 2021 Ballon d'Or list as per MARCA: