Although the 2021 Ballon d'Or winner will only be announced on Monday night, the final three has reportedly already been leaked, with Cristiano Ronaldo seemingly excluded from the podium.
Click through the mini-gallery above to see the reported final three, according to talkSPORT!
France Football, the organisers of arguably the most coveted individual prize in the sport, will announce this year's Ballon d'Or winner in Paris on Monday.
For months, there have been suggestions that Lionel Messi will win the accolade a record-extending seventh time, with talkSPORT recently claiming there is truth to that rumour.
Despite his relatively slow start to life at Paris Saint-Germain since his shock exit from Barcelona in August, the 34-year-old's exploits for Argentina at the 2021 Copa America tournament might have been enough for him to be handed the award.
Messi captained his country to triumph with several outstanding performances in Brazil, winning the competition's best scorer, best assist-provider and best player prizes along the way.
The publication suggested that Real Madrid's in-form striker Karim Benzema will be placed second on the podium, ahead of Bayern Munich forward Robert Lewandowski in third.
With football being majorly interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic last year, the 2020 edition of the prize was cancelled, with many believing Lewandowski would have been the deserving recipient of the Ballon d'Or then.
'Ronaldo Might Decide To Walk Away From Man Utd'
Manchester United's Ronaldo, if reports are to be believed, looks destined to miss out on a podium finish, with 2010 being the last time the Portugal captain did not make the final three.
Messi, meanwhile, won the prestigious trophy when the award was handed out in 2019.
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