Jorginho, the Chelsea midfielder is doing wonders at the EURO after winning the Champions League with Chelsea. Now that Kante and France are out of the EURO, questions about Jorginho getting the Ballon d’Or are on the rise. But can he get the coveted prize ahead of Lewandowski and Messi?
Jorginho was bought by Maurizio Sarri when he went from Napoli to Chelsea in 2018. He took with him his most valuable player at Napoli, Jorginho. Sarri has a playing style based on ball possession with crisp passing through the midfield, this is where a position called regista or deep-lying playmaker comes into the picture. Jorginho fit that role pretty well at Napoli and Saari wanted to replicate that at Chelsea.
Things however did not turn out as planned and Sarri was sacked after just one year. Club legend Lampard came in as the next manager and Jorginho had a hard time adjusting to his playing style. Thankfully for him, Lampard was sacked and Tuchel was appointed. Under Tuchel, Jorginho has been a revelation. His passing has improved, his ball control has gone up a notch and he has looked solid in 2021.
In EURO 2020 he has been among the best players of the tournaments. His stats speak for themselves. This begs the question, can he be awarded the Ballon d’Or if Italy wins EURO 2020?
Can a midfielder even get Ballon d’Or?
Technically, Yes! So far 8 midfielders have won the Ballon d’Or in 61 years. If this shocks you, wait till you know their names. Those 8 midfielders include players like Zidane, Kaka, Gerd Muller and Ronaldinho, who technically are midfielders but not in the true sense. All these players played upfront and were allowed to go for goals whenever they pleased. For a player like Jorginho who hangs back and makes plays, these stats certainly look bleak.
Though 8 midfielders, 3 defenders and a goalkeeper winning the Ballon d’Or point to a possibility, Jorginho being awarded the Ballon d’Or would be something out of the ordinary and not smooth sailing.
What about Messi and Lewandowski?
Lewandowski has been immense for the last couple of years. He had a sure shot at the coveted award last year but cancellation due to COVID played party pooper for him. This year however he has gone on and broken the 50-year-old record of Gerd Muller(40) for the most number of goals in a Bundesliga season. Lewandoski scored 48 goals and 9 assists in 40 games helping Bayern Munich to 3 trophies.
Messi on the other hand has scored 38 goals and 14 assists in 47 games in the 2020/21 season. He helped Barcelona to a Copa Del Rey trophy but could not win any other tournament that they participated in.
Poland has been out of the EURO 2020 and Bayern did not go past Quarter Final in the Champions League so Lewandowski has just Bundesliga win to show for as a team award. Barcelona suffered worse fate in the Champions League having been eliminated in the Round of 16 itself. Messi’s Argentina however are in the quarter-finals of Copa America and have a good chance of winning the tournament.
The problem for these two players is that despite their individual excellence, they have not helped their team to the Champions League trophy or a major tournament with the national team- something that Jorginho could well accomplish. He has already won the Champions League with Chelsea and could win the EURO with Italy. Helping his team to win the two biggest trophies of the season surely increases his chances of getting the Ballon d’Or.
Most open Ballon d’Or in a long long time
Messi and Ronaldo have almost made this award impossible for other players to win for more than a decade. It’s after a very long time that we even get to discuss players and their chances, as opposed to just Ronaldo and Messi in the past. Who do you think deserves this year’s Ballon d’Or? Jorginho, Lewandowski, Messi or any other player? Please comment below!
