Following Chelsea’s victory over Manchester City in the 2020-21 Champions League final back in May, N’Golo Kante became the frontrunner to win the 2021 Ballon d’Or award.The indefatigable midfielder was magnificent for Chelsea in the knockout stages, picking up Man of the Match awards in both semi-final legs against Real Madrid and in the final at the Estadio do Dragao in Porto.Kante produced a typically tenacious performance against Pep Guardiola’s side as Chelsea secured an unexpected 1-0 victory over Pep Guardiola’s Premier League champions.The universally popular Frenchman also further endeared himself to football fans across the world with his antics during and after the match.
Kante couldn't bring himself to waste time
Shortly before full-time, Kante had the opportunity to waste some valuable time after being fouled.
Although it appeared to briefly cross his mind, the World Cup winner was far too pure to time-waste and immediately sprang back to his feet.
Watch the footage here:
Almost every other footballer in Kante’s shoes would have milked the foul to waste some valuable seconds, but the midfielder proved once again that he’s far too pure for this sport.
Kante made fans laugh during trophy presentation
Kante then had fans in stitches during the trophy presentation when he lightly touched the European Cup with a beaming smile on his face while the rest of his teammates were giving it a kiss.
Check out that clip here:
What a guy.
Kante's humble post-match interview
Kante was also praised for his humble post-match interview. After being asked about his own individual performance, the 30-year-old was only interested in talking about the team.
“We are very happy, very proud,” Kante said. “It’s the result of a lot of effort together. Some good results, some bad, but we stayed together.
“We played very well in the second part of the season and we enjoy this title all together.”
He added: “The main thing is the fact we stick together. At the end, it’s beautiful to win this kind of title together.”
Watch Kante’s interview here:
You won’t find a more modest footballer than Chelsea’s No. 7.
Kante finished fifth in the 2021 Ballon d'Or voting
Kante would eventually finish fifth in the voting for the 2021 Ballon d’Or award, beaten to the top four by Karim Benzema (4th), his Chelsea teammate Jorginho (3rd), Robert Lewandowski (2nd) and Lionel Messi (1st).
While we all would love to have seen Kante on stage with the Ballon d’Or in his hands, you get the impression that the man himself was more than happy to avoid the inevitable limelight that would have come with winning the prestigious individual accolade.
Newcastle 1-1 Man Utd - Reaction (Football Terrace)
Can you get 20/20 on our 2021 Ultimate Football Quiz?