Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Inter Milan and Barcelona), 7. Robert Lewandowski was among the front-runners for the 2021 edition but Paris Saint-German superstar and six-time winner Messi added a seventh triumph. From Robert Lewandowski being robbed to Mohamed Salah placing seventh - there are arguments about who deserved to be where on the men's Ballon d'Or rankings. The ceremony for the Fifa Best Awards - which are slightly less prestigious - was also cancelled, although, Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge says. At one stage during his youth, he even considered giving up on football to become a cross-country runner. "I felt sad, I have nothing to hide," Lewandowski said. So Lewandowski is the best striker for club and country and yet he finished second forthe Ballon d'Or? Players removed: Achraf Hakimi, Mohamed Salah. #Bundesliga pic.twitter.com/gMhMYPrx3U. This article first appeared in the Winter Edition of World Soccer. Karim Benzema, Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappe and Mohamed Salah also had polite claims for a shot at the award. It was also the 34-year-old player's fourth consecutive victory at the awards, and it came after he helped Juventus win the 2018-19 Serie A title in his debut season in Italy and also played a vital role in Portugal's victory in the Nations League. Lewandowski deserves the Ballon dOr. His importance to PSGs attack is clear to see with 11 assists so far in all competitions, but eight goals in 27 appearances is hardly eye-catching when comparing it to the likes of Benzema and Lewandowski in particular. 5. He claimed his first in 2008, with further successes coming in 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2017. Lewandowski scored 41 goals in the Bundesliga, beating the likes of Leo Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo to the award. This service is provided on News Group Newspapers' Limited's Standard Terms and Conditions in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie Policy. Wasit the legend of Messi built over more than a decade? 29 - Messi (1st) The 2023 Ballon d'Or ceremony will take place next autumn. However, the Argentine's incredible record in the Ballon dOr means you cannot count him out completely, despite looking unlikely. 16. best No.9 in the world, he says. Analysis and opinion from our chief football writer. Lewandowski won it, and it felt like an early consolation prize a short time before Messi was announced as the men's Ballon d'Or winner. Right now, he is simply untouchable as the most devastating attacker on the planet, and more determined than ever to be recognised as such. Odds & lines subject to change. Robert Lewandowski has had an excellent season and is in contention to win the Ballon d'Or this year. Then my idol was Thierry Henry. Luckily, Immobiles improbable feat didnt repeat itself, and wouldnt have mattered if it did. The men's and women's Ballon d'Or winners will be crowned at a gala event at the Chatelet Theatre in Paris on 29 November. We all know he should . Former Bayern Munich and England midfielder Owen Hargreaves says Lewandowski would "almost certainly" have won the Ballon d'Or this year. 18. The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. PSG duo Gianluigi Donnarumma and Kylian Mbappe have been announced in 10th and 9th place respectively in the Ballon d'Or voting. The race to win the Golden Ball is well and truly on, with the return of the Champions League set to only intensify matters It might not seem that long ago since Karim Benzema was picking up the. Lionel Messi has won FIFA Golden Ball award twice. Last year, everyone was in agreement to say that you were the big winner of this award.. Diego Forlan (Atletico Madrid and Inter Milan), 8. So, Xavi will have his task cut out when it comes to team selection and tactics as he looks to arrest the minor slump that Bara find themselves in before things . ROBERT LEWANDOWSKI will go down as one of the greatest players this generation. The 33-year-old has struck 11 times across his last 12 internationals, scoring three in the UEFA Euro 2020 groups and eight in 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifying. I dont think Messi shouldve won it. . He finished sixth in 2021. . Lewandowski was undoubtedly denied the honour by last years cancellation, but 12 months later hes still fully deserving of the accolade. No leeway at the top, but Bayern Munich keep winning. Hopefully, France Football can give it to you because you would have been the true . It's a sentiment that many were also voicing in the wake of Messi's latest triumph: Imagine winning all this but not the Ballon d'Or pic.twitter.com/DSeFRjD4OW, 47 goals in 2020. More than 170 media members around the world submitted a top-fivevotefor the Ballon d'Or by the Oct. 24 deadline. Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Paris Saint-Germain), 9. Toni Kroos, expressed his opinion that Robert Lewandowski should have received the Ballon d'Or instead of Lionel Messi in 2021 . France Football's decision not to award a 2020 Ballon d'Or has come with much controversy. Date of birth/Age: Aug 21, 1988 (34) Place of birth: Warszawa Citizenship: Poland Height: 1,85 m Position: Centre-Forward Current international: Poland Caps/Goals: 138 / 78 45.00 m Last update: Nov 7, 2022 Profile Stats Market value Transfers Rumours National team News Achievements Career Stats of Robert Lewandowski With all due respect to Messi and the other great players named, none deserved it as much as Lewandowski. The Frenchman scored 44 goals as Los Blancos won club footballs most prestigious trophy and LaLiga. The narrative of the event was focused on theend of his trophy drought with the Albiceleste, but he was Argentina's third-most influential playerbehind midfielderRodrigo De Paul and goalkeeper Emiliano "Dibu" Martinez. Jorginho (Italy, Chelsea), 460 pts. Xavi - Messi Ballon d'Or win is 'football justice', BRIGHTON, ENGLAND - MARCH 12: Liverpool's Mohamed Salah celebrates scoring his side's second goal during the Premier League match between Brighton & Hove Albion and Liverpool at American Express Community Stadium on March 12, 2022 in Brighton, United King. Lewandowski's season ended with a clean sweep of major trophies and on a run of 21. Please also read our Privacy Notice and Terms of Use, which became effective December 20, 2019. Only Cristiano Ronaldo has scored more in a single season, yet his all-time record of 17 would almost certainly have been beaten if this years knockout stages had been over two legs instead of just one. Or was it Argentina's Copa America triumph? Ballon d'Or 2021: How Robert Lewandowski became the world's most efficient, and misunderstood, goal machine Lewandowski can appear a little robotic, relentlessly crushing lesser opponents. The 33-year-old received the honour in person at the ceremony in Paris on Monday evening, the prize coming as a fitting reward for a man who, among other achievements, set a new single-season Bundesliga goal record of 41 in 2020/21. His 28 goals in 37 appearances across all competitions this season have proven to be crucial, as he seeks to become the first African winner of the award since George Weah in 1995. And when it comes to attacking, Lewandowski is the standard-setter for the second year running, leaving Messi and Ronaldo trailing in his wake once again. Other Bundesliga players to have won it are Allan Simonsen (Borussia Mnchengladbach) and Kevin Keegan (Hamburg). Lewandowski's season ended with a clean sweep of major trophies and on a run of 21 consecutive wins, with 55 goals and nine assists in 46 games. Messi has won the men's Ballon d'Or award a record seven times, Cristiano Ronaldo has won the award five times. There is no doubt, however, that playing a starring role in Qatar has boosted some players' chances of competing for the Golden Ball ahead of the return of the Champions League in the past weeks. Lewandowski's year featured both consistency and results. Many visitors to this page are looking for the results of the FIFA player of the year, which was merged with the Ballon d'Or between 2009 and 2015 to create the FIFA Ballon d'Or. That record is unlikely to ever be beaten, although only two of those goals have come at a major tournament, a record that he would like to improve next summer. "This year he was honored as the top scorer, and I think yes he can make a run for the award next year. Not bad for a player rejected by Legia Warsaw as a teenager! Robert Lewandowski was tipped by many to win the 2021 Ballon d'Or award after an outstanding year for club and country. Mbappe is on course to collect a fifth Ligue 1 title winners medal, but that represents the only prospect of silverware for the 23-year-old this season. 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