While the actual prize for the best footballer of 2020 will not be handed out until December, each week Goal will be tracking the runners and riders
After a three-month hiatus, the race for the 2020 Ballon d'Or is back up and running, with the world's best players all vying to get their hands on the most prestigious individual award football can offer.

Lionel Messi is, for the sixth time in his career, the defending champion having picked up the prize in December , but the competition is as fierce as many can remember following the Argentine and Cristiano Ronaldo's recent dominance.

With the summer's international tournaments now postponed, the footballing calendar for 2020 looks markedly different than it did at the start of the year, with leagues rushing to end their seasons during a time when transfers would usually be dominating their agendas.

It has been confirmed that the Champions League and Europa League will be completed in August, and given how much prominence the voters place on performances in those competitions, players who remain in Europe retain the best chances of claiming this year's Ballon d'Or.

So who are the frontrunners? And which players still have work to do?

#20 Ciro Immobile (Lazio) | Last time: 18
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#19 Josip Ilicic (Atalanta) | Last time: 13

#18 Timo Werner (RB Leipzig) | Last time: 14


#17 Alphonso Davies (Bayern Munich) | Last time: 17

#16 Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool) | Last time: NEW ENTRY

#15 Serge Gnabry (Bayern Munich) | Last time: 12

#14 Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United) | Last time: 15

#13 Sadio Mane (Liverpool) | Last time: 20

#12 Jordan Henderson (Liverpool) | Last time: 16

#10 Jadon Sancho (Borussia Dortmund) | Last time: 10

#9 Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain) | Last time: 9

#8 Erling Haaland (Borussia Dortmund) | Last time: 7


#7 Neymar (Paris Saint-Germain) | Last time: 6

#6 Karim Benzema (Real Madrid) | Last time: 8

#5 Thomas Muller (Bayern Munich) | Last time: 5

#4 Lionel Messi (Barcelona) | Last time: 3
As weeks go for Messi, this was a pretty bad one.

Not only did Barca lose further ground in the Liga title race, he has also been forced to watch on as the Blaugrana swap talented young midfielder Arthur Melo for ageing Juventus metronome Miralem Pjanic.

The Argentine's chances of a seventh golden ball are dwindling by the day right now.

#3 Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City) | Last time: 2
De Bruyne slides, but through no fault of his own.

City knew the Premier League title was gone long before they lost at Chelsea on Thursday, and even then the Belgium midfielder was still able to score a superb free-kick at Stamford Bridge.

He followed that up with a goal from the penalty spot as Pep Guardiola's side reached the FA Cup semi-finals and maintained their hopes of winning a treble of cup competitions.

Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus) | Last time: 4
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#2 Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus) | Last time: 4
They may have both been penalties, but Ronaldo is back on the goal trail having scored in each of Juve's victories on their return to Serie A action.

Those wins, coupled with Lazio's loss to Atalanta, has opened up a four-point gap at the top of the table, meaning a second successive Scudetto for the Portuguese is very much within his grasp.

Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich) | Last time: 1
Goal
#1 Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich) | Last time: 1
It felt only right that Lewandowski rounded out the Bundesliga season with his 34th goal of a superb league campaign that saw him crowned the competition's Player of the Year earlier in the week.

Now his attentions turn to adding two cup competition winners' medals to his collection over the next two months. If he does that it is difficult to see anyone challenging him for the world's top individual gong.

I feel s.o.r.r.y for messi
there no way he can attempt that award and la liga league this seasoo
As ORORO The real M.V.P & The G.O.A.T is coming to pick his 6th price for being the ever performing old man.

With the way they've performed this season, anybody from Messi and Ronaldo that wins it, na ojoro e go be.


Lewandowski wins the Ucl with Bayern, na sure banker for him