January 17, (THEWILL) –Â Edouard Mendy of Chelsea and Senegal has been declared the winner of FIFA’s The Best Goalkeeper award for 2021, after being denied of a chance at the Ballon d’Or event.
Following his transfer from Rennes in 2020, Mendy had a fantastic first season at Stamford Bridge, consolidating his place as one of the top goalkeepers in the world and playing a key role in the Blues’ Champions League triumph.
The Senegalese maintained a club record nine clean sheets in the path to Champions League victory in Porto. He beat out Gianluigi Donnarumma – who helped Italy win Euro 2020 in the summer before a high-profile move to PSG – and Manuel Neuer of Bayern Munich to earn the accolade.
When Mendy joined Chelsea, he quickly established himself as the club’s first-choice goalkeeper, displacing Kepa Arrizabalaga between the sticks at Stamford Bridge.
Under Thomas Tuchel, he has made 70 appearances and played a major role in Chelsea’s rise to the top of Europe, yet he was purportedly snubbed for the best keeper gong at the Ballon D’Or, sparking claims of disrespect for African talents.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
