Paris Saint-Germain and Argentina forward Lionel Messi is the strong favorite to claim the prestigious men's Ballon d'Or award for a record seventh time at the ceremony in Paris, France later on Monday, according to reports.

Messi ended his long wait for a major international trophy when he helped Argentina win the Copa America in July, while he also guided Barcelona to Copa del Rey glory before he moved to the French capital in August.

Messi's likely closest challenger for the trophy is Bayern Munich forward Robert Lewandowski, who was the favorite in 2020 before the awards were canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Other standout names include Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo, Real Madrid's Karim Benzema, Liverpool's Mohamed Salah and Chelsea's midfield duo Jorginho and N'Golo Kante.