oddschecker will break down the market on who will likely scoop up football's most prestigious award the Ballon d'Or later today.
Bookmakers have whittled the Ballon d’Or winner market down to just two real contenders, with Lionel Messi and Robert Lewandowski going head to head.
Odds have been slashed on PSG forward Lionel Messi scooping the gong, from 7/4 earlier this month into just 1/2 at the time of writing.
That makes the Argentine the odds-on clear favourite to win the fourth Ballon d’Or of his sparkling career ahead of the ceremony tonight.
A former favourite in the market, Polish hitman Lewandowski’s odds have lengthened slightly over the last few weeks but is still under consideration from punters.
The Bayern Munich man now finds himself 5/2 best price with 888sport, but as short as 5/4 with a number of select other bookmakers.
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The other contenders
It really is a two-horse race, according to the market, with the next nearest challenger coming in the form of Liverpool’s Mo Salah at 25/1.
Sparkling seasons for Chelsea and Italy, midfielder Jorginho is next up in the betting at 33/1, the same price as Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema (33/1).
Players from Italy’s glorious Euro 2020 win feature prominently, with Gianluigi Donnarumma (80/1) and Giorgio Chiellini (100/1) next up in the betting.
A Manchester City duo of Ruben Dias (150/1) and Phil Foden (150/1) are next up, followed by Simon Kjaer (150/1) and Cristiano Ronaldo (150/1).
Oddschecker spokesperson Callum Wilson: “The battle for the Ballon d'Or looks to be going down to the wire, with only two real contenders being considered.
"Punters have been backing Lionel Messi in their droves this week, with over 44% of all bets in that time frame backing the PSG maestro.
"That's resulted in the Argentine going into strong odds on 1/2, indicating a 67% chance Messi scoops his fourth Ballon d'Or.
Ballon d’Or winner 2021:
- Lionel Messi – 1/2
- Robert Lewandowski – 5/2
- Mo Salah – 25/1
- Jorginho – 33/1
- Karim Benzema – 33/1
- Gianluigi Donnarumma – 80/1
- Giorgio Chiellini – 100/1
