Ballon d'Or: What happened at football's biggest awards night?

Lionel Messi can add this Ballon d'Or to the trophy cabinet along side the other six he has won!

It's one of the biggest awards in the football world and something every player dreams of winning one day.

But only a select few have been handed a prestigious Ballon d'Or gold trophy.

The annual awards ceremony happened last night in Paris, France. It didn't take place in 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Since 2008, either Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi have taken home the men's award - apart from 2018 when Croatia midfielder Luka Modric won it.

The Ballon d'Or for the best female player - officially called the Ballon d'Or Féminin - was first awarded in 2018.

The award is voted for by 180 football journalists from around the world, so who took home the golden orbs this year?

Here are a few things that happened at the glitzy ceremony show.

1. Lionel Messi won the men's Ballon d'Or...

Messi and his wife Antonella brought their three children along for the ceremony - Thiago (9), Mateo (6) and Ciro (3)

The Paris St-Germain and Argentina forward Lionel Messi won the men's award for a record seventh time!

The 34-year-old has scored 40 goals in 2021 including 28 for his old club, Barcelona, four for new team Paris St-Germain and eight for his national side.

He also helped Argentina win the Copa America, which is the first international trophy he has won during his career.

"It's incredible to be here again," he said after picking up the award.

"Two years ago I thought it was the last time. People were starting to ask me when I was going to retire but now I'm here in Paris and very happy".

Manchester United player Cristiano Ronaldo finished sixth, just ahead of Liverpool's Mo Salah.

2. But some people think another award should have been handed out on the night...

Robert Lewandowski was given a brand new award - Striker of the Year

Nobody can deny Lionel Messi is one of the greatest footballers on the planet, but many people think another player deserved an award.

Bayern Munich and Poland striker Robert Lewandowski came second in the vote.

The 33-year-old has scored 53 goals in all competitions in 2021 and was handed the 'Striker of the Year' prize - a brand new award that was only announced hours before the ceremony began.

One Twitter user described it as a "consolation prize".

In his winners speech, Lionel Messi said Lewandowski should be awarded the trophy for last season, despite the 2020 awards ceremony being cancelled due to the pandemic.

"I wanted to say to Robert that it was an honour to go up against him," said Messi. "He deserved to win it last year."

Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker agreed, posting on Twitter: "Messi's right. Give Lewandowski the award. Such an easy thing to do, and the right thing to do."

3. Alexia Putellas won the Women's Ballon d'Or

Alexia Putellas scooped the Women's Ballon d'Or - only the third woman in history to be given the prize

Barcelona captain Alexia Putellas won only the third Women's Ballon d'Or in history.

She was pivotal in Barcelona's Champions League win earlier this year and ended the 2020-21 season as the highest-scoring midfielder in Europe with 26 goals in all competitions.

She was also named Uefa's Women's Player of the Year and Midfielder of the Year.

"I'm sure I won't be the last Barcelona player to win the prize. This is just the beginning," she said after picking up the trophy.

4. Spider-Man was there!

Marvel meets Messi... Tom Holland and Zendaya brought the Hollywood glam to the red carpet

Stars of Spider-Man, Tom Holland and Zendaya, were invited along for the glitzy red carpet ceremony.

They are on a huge tour promoting their new film, Spider-Man: No Way Home, and stopped for photos on the red carpet separately.

Wonder if either of them are any good at footy?!

5. F1 drivers brought the trophies on stage

Nope, the men in suits and helmets were no trophy security guards - it was F1 drivers Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon!

The Ballon d'Or trophies are iconic in their own right, so it makes sense for them to have their very own grand entrance.

This year, they were hurled around Paris in a snazzy sports car, and brought up on stage by two mysterious men in black suits and black helmets - similar to those worn by French dance act Daft Punk.

But when the men removed their headgear, it was revealed to be Formula One drivers Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon!

The star-studded audience were delighted to see the drivers joining in the fun.

6. Chelsea won Club of the Year.

Chelsea beat Manchester City in Porto in May earlier this year

Having won the Champions League in May, beating Manchester City 1-0 in the final, Chelsea took home the trophy for 'Club of the year'.

However, no players from the Chelsea team were there to collect the award due to current UK Covid restrictions. The side are also preparing for their Premier League match against Watford on Wednesday evening.

Blues midfielder Jorginho finished third in the overall men's rankings.

7. Pedri won the Kopa Trophy

Nineteen year old Barcelona star Pedri seems to have a bright future ahead of him - can he follow in the footsteps of former recipient of this award, Kylian Mbappe?

Barcelona midfielder Pedri, who is 19, took home the Kopa Trophy - which is the award for the best player under the age of 21.

And it was a great result for England internationals Jude Bellingham, Mason Greenwood and Bukayo Saka. The trio of World Cup finalists finished second, fifth and sixth respectively.

What do you think of the awrds? Did Lionel Messi deserve to win? Who would be your player of the year?