Ballon d’Or 2021: Modric, Sneijder, Cannavaro… how does Jorginho compare to major tournament candidates of the past?

ByGraham Ruthven

Published 29/11/2021 at 06:36 GMT

Jorginho is among the frontrunners to win the 2021 Ballon d'Or after helping Italy to Euro 2020 glory and Chelsea to the Champions League title. But how does the midfielder's candidacy this year compare to previous Ballon d'Or winners and candidates who have been pushed forward after a major tournament year?

There is always a major tournament candidate pushed forward when it comes time to vote for the Ballon d’Or. This is to say that in years when a World Cup or Euros or even a Copa America has taken place, a player who best encapsulates the most compelling narrative of that tournament. In 2021, that player is Jorginho.

Not only was the central midfielder instrumental for Italy as they won Euro 2020, he was a key figure for Chelsea as they went all the way in the Champions League last season. Jorginho is the ideal crossover candidate in that he enjoyed success in both the club and international game this year. N’Golo Kante might have been pushed forward instead had France won Euro 2020.

So how does Jorginho compare to Ballon d’Or candidates who have been pushed to the top of the shortlist in a similar manner? Is the Italian’s candidacy a legitimate one, using the prize’s history as a yardstick? Should he expect to get his hands on the most famous golden orb in the sport?

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Luka Modric, like Jorginho, was a major tournament candidate after shining at the 2018 World Cup as Croatia made the final. On top of this, Modric was part of the Real Madrid team that won the Champions League that year, and so there are strong parallels between the midfielder’s 2018 candidacy and Jorginho’s for 2021.

Modric, who in 2018 became the first player besides Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo to win the Ballon d'Or since Kaka in 2007, completed the most passes (422) and created the most goalscoring chances (18) for Croatia in their 2018 World Cup campaign. In fact, Modric was the midfielder with the most passes attempted (484), most touches (624) and most recoveries (56).

Real Madrid’s Luka Modric celebrates with the Ballon d’Or award

Image credit: PA Sport

By almost metric, Modric was the driving force behind Croatia’s run to the 2018 World Cup final and was handed the Golden Ball award for being the best player at the tournament. The Euro 2020 Player of the Tournament award, however, was handed to Gianluigi Donnarumma. UEFA didn’t even consider Jorginho to be the best player in his own team.

Wesley Sneijder is another player who was pushed up the Ballon d’Or shortlist after an eye-catching major tournament with the playmaker a member of the Netherlands side that made the 2010 World Cup final. Like Modric and Jorginho, he also enjoyed Champions League glory in the same year, lifting the trophy with Jose Mourinho’s Inter.

Sneijder contributed three goals and six assists from 11 Champions League matches for Inter in 2010 with his most important goal coming in the semi-final first leg against Barcelona. The Dutchman also assisted Diego Milito for Inter’s opener in the final against Bayern Munich and carried this form into the World Cup.

Spain's Andres Iniesta fights for the ball with Netherlands' Wesley Sneijder during their 2010 World Cup final

Image credit: Reuters

For the Netherlands, Sneijder was named Man of the Match in his first two appearances in South Africa. In the round of 16, he scored one and assisted another in a 2-1 win over Slovakia. In the quarter-finals, Sneijder scored both goals in a 2-1 victory against Brazil before scoring against Uruguay in the semi-final. His influence was undeniable.

Fabio Cannavaro won the 2006 Ballon d’Or after leading Italy to World Cup glory that year. As a defender, his influence was more nuanced. What’s more, Cannavaro’s year at club level wasn’t especially outstanding as he swapped Juventus for Real Madrid after the Calciopoli scandal. He was very much a major tournament candidate.

There is a debate over how much weight major tournaments should have in the voting for the Ballon d’Or when they only last one month of the year, but individual awards in a team sport will always blur the lines of comparison. Jorginho’s appearance on the 2021 Ballon d’Or shortlist follows a well-established precedent.

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