On the field, it was business as usual for prolific strikers in competitions, including Robert Lewandowski, Mohamed Salah and Kian Mpabe at the top of the charts in goals and assists, along with the usual suspects Ronaldo and Messi.
TimesofIndia.com takes a look at the 2021 graphs of the above five names as another eventful year draws to a close:
Lionel Messi
Age: 34
Country: Argentina
Club: Paris Saint-Germain
(AFP photo)
Lionel Messi fulfilled the dream he had been waiting to fulfill in 2021 – lifting a major international trophy for Argentina. Messi managed to do just that by winning the Copa America this year; And the victory against Brazil in the final tasted just as sweet.
Although many debated Messi once winning the Ballon d’Or for a record seventh time, it is now a fact as well as a record. His goal-scoring skills in 2021 may not have been the same as his last few years, but Messi remains one of the most wanted players of his era.
The year also saw something very few, if any, football fans ever imagined: Messi leaving Barcelona. Although the writing was on the wall for a while, Messi’s exit was not really smooth. Ultimately it boiled down to a choice between Manchester City and PSG, and Messi decided to move to France. After his contract with Barcelona expired, Messi officially became the most wanted free agent, probably ever.
The 24-year-old football icon is yet to find his top gear at PSG, where he agreed to a two-year deal, with the option to extend it for a second season. Meanwhile, his former club Barcelona is going through a transition after the departure of their most influential player.
Cristiano Ronaldo
Age: 36
Country: Portugal
Club: Manchester United
(AFP photo)
Cristiano Ronaldo may have been disappointed not to take Portugal beyond the Round of 16 at Euro 2020/21, but his return from Juventus to former club Manchester United seems to have ignited the fire within.
Although he turns 37 next February, Ronaldo hasn’t lost the habit of putting himself in scoring opportunities, apart from continuing to have a high conversion rate on those occasions. And he didn’t take time to prove that on his United return, when he netted a brace against Newcastle United in his first match for the Premier League giants.
Going forward, Ronaldo will look to celebrate his 37th birthday in style when Manchester United take on Atletico Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League round-of-16 against the top Spanish club on 23 February.
Robert Lewandowski
Age: 33
Country: Poland
Club: Bayern Munich
(Reuters Photo)
To many, Robert Lewandowski should have held this year’s Ballon d’Or trophy, but it did not, prompting the debate that the Bayern Munich goal-scoring machine deserved just as much, if not more, than Messi.
When it comes to scoring goals, Lewandowski has given Messi and Ronaldo a run for their money. On that note, the Polish striker recently scored his 43rd goal in the Bundesliga’s 2021 season to break Gerd Müller’s 49-year record.
Those numbers made him the unanimous choice for the inaugural ‘Striker of the Year’ award at the 2021 Ballon d’Or ceremony, and Messi’s words to Lewandowski’s amazement best describe the great player he has become.
At the Ballon d’Or ceremony, Messi said: “It is an honor to be here with you today. You broke records and you would have deserved to win the Ballon d’Or. You had an incredible year.”
Mohamed Salahi
Age: 29
Country: Egypt
Club: liverpool
(Reuters Photo)
Mohamed Salah’s breathtaking runs, dribbles and goals for Liverpool are scorching the Premier League record books, putting him in the league of top five footballers of 2021.
The Egyptian striker’s figures this year have been in the limelight with his hat-trick when Liverpool beat Manchester United 5-0 at Old Trafford earlier this year. It was also his fourth hat-trick in the Premier League.
A goal in the December 17 game against Newcastle made Salah the 2021 ‘African Player of the Year’, the first to score in five consecutive matches at Anfield.
Salah is now also the leading African goalscorer in the Premier League, surpassing the 104-goal mark set by Didier Drogba.
Kian Mbappe
Age: 22
Country: France
Club: Paris Saint-Germain
(Reuters Photo)
An anticipated move from PSG to Real Madrid may currently be the top Kylian Mbappe news on social media, but the reason behind that demand is his ability to score goals with consummate ease. Incidentally, it is Real Madrid that PSG have drawn as their opponents in the Champions League Round of 16.
At just 22 years old, French forward Mbappe has already completed a Ligue 1 goal century for PSG and is now behind 156 goals scored by Zlatan Ibrahimovic and 200 goals scored by Edinson Cavani.
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