Gambling problem? News Corp is a network of leading companies in the worlds of diversified media, news, education, and information services. All rights reserved. Uefa Champions League On Instagram Who S Your Pick For The 2022 Ballon D Or Ucl In 2023 Ballon D Or Messi Soccer Messi . Over the entirety of the campaign, Lewandowski only failed to score in nine of his 47 appearances in all competitions. Incredibly, he has managed to score 40-plus goals in seven consecutive years and this incredible consistency surely gives him a big chance of claiming the award for the first time. The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski has finally won one of the few individual trophies that has eluded him so far the European Golden Boot (also called shoe, but "boot" sounds cooler), which is awarded to the highest domestic scorer in Europe for the season. Home > Sports > List > Football > Resources > Winners > Awards > Ballon d'Or > Winners. ", MORE: Ronaldo fires back at France Football editor comment. How @Lewy_Official shaped up against the rest of Europe week by week in 2020/21. 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. Lewandowski is Poland's greatest goalscorer in history The 34-year-old made the switch to the Camp Nou last summer, having scored an incredible 344 goals in 375 matches at Bayern Munich. Former Ballon d'Or winner Lothar Matthaus was also critical of the voting process. As the processstands, the media members were asked to vote based on (1) individual and team performance in 2021, (2) the player's talent and sportsmanship, and (3) the players overall career. See What is a sport? Lewandowski turned 32 in August, and insists that he wants to stay at Bayern until hes 40. Who knows how many he will have scored by then? In only two of those seasons has the winner scored more than Lewandowski's 55 goals (Messi's 73 in 2011-12 and 58 in 2014-15). Lionel Messi won his record-extending seventh Ballon d'Or on Monday as the world's top player after leading Argentina to the Copa America title in July. Ronaldo has now won the award six times in the nine years that it has been presented. By Ryan Reid. Almost the entire footballing world is in agreement that Robert Lewandowski deserved to win the Ballon d'Or in 2020. He claimed his first in 2008, with further successes coming in 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2017. . 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. But Messi wasn't even the most important player on his team during the Copa America. This was the closest that Lewandowski has come to receiving the award. Only the 2022/23 season achievements will be taken into account. The Athletic's John Muller has used date to prove that Bayern Munich's Robert Lewandowski was robbed of the Ballon d'Or after Lionel Messi received the accolade for a seventh time. 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. Stats only tell part of the story in theside-by-side comparison. Organisers France Football are not awarding it for the first time since 1956 because of the coronavirus pause, saying there was a "lack of a sufficiently level playing field". Right now, he is simply untouchable as the most devastating attacker on the planet, and more determined than ever to be recognised as such. "I think every player who won what we won or scored so many goals should maybe win this Ballon d'Or.". Ronaldo has won the Ballon d'Or five times in his illustrious career. The Ballon d'Or award is an annualfootballawardfor the best player over the previous year. 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. Lewandowskis coach, Hansi Flick, acknowledges that he is lucky enough to have the best striker in the world at his disposal. * 21+ (19+ CA-ONT) (18+ NH/WY). Jorginho (Italy, Chelsea), 460 pts. When asked by Sportowe Fakty which player he felt deserved to win the 2020 Ballon d'Or, Lewandowski simply replied: "Me. So if Argentina doesn't survive the semifinal penalty-kick shootout against Colombia, then Messi would have missed out on the Ballon d'Or? Ballon d'Or/Winners (2021) Last season, Lewandowski finished as runner up in the Ballon d'Or, with Lionel Messi claiming his 7th award ahead of the Poland star. This years World Cup in Qatar will take place after the presentation of this years award, and the players exploits in that tournament will be judged for the following year. Or was it Argentina's Copa America triumph? Ronaldo didnt win anything with Juventus, he wasnt even the European top scorer. It was never in doubt, really. The records havent stopped tumbling in the new season either. Messi's numbers may look better on paper (stats below as of the voting deadline of Oct. 24), but the twoalso play the game very differently. Joining league rivals Bayern Munich, Lewandowski cemented his place as one of the greatest players of his generation as he netted an incredible 344 goals in 375 matches in Munich. 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. Bayern captain Manuel Neuer came fifth overall in the goalkeeping category, with the PSG custodian taking the top prize in part for his role in helping Italy win EURO 2020 over the summer. var months = new Array ("January","February","March","April","May","June","July", Ballon d'Or 2022 - Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Robert Lewandowski chances of winning award examined This year's World Cup in Qatar will take place after the presentation of this year's. Jurgen Klopp has questioned the outcome of the 2021 Ballon d'Or award and said both Robert Lewandowski and Mohamed Salah have been unfairly overlooked after Lionel Messi won the trophy for a . That's where Lewandowski stands apart. . He doesnt excite voters. Toni Kroos (Bayern Munich and Real Madrid), 10. Former Bayern Munich and England midfielder Owen Hargreaves says Lewandowski would "almost certainly" have won the Ballon d'Or this year. In addition to the above, a much more streamlined voting system is set to be introduced that allows only representatives from the top 100 countries in the FIFA mens rankings qualified to vote. Karim Benzema has broken Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi's dominance of the Ballon d'Or after helping Real Madrid win the Champions League during the 2021/22 season. Read about our approach to external linking. 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ROBERT LEWANDOWSKI will go down as one of the greatest players this generation. He cited his votes for the 2013 Ballon d'Or as an example: . Messi's seventh Ballon d'Or felt like a soft call by the Ballon d'Or jury if we compare to what Lewandowski attained with Bayern and Poland in 2020-2021. The Ballon d'Or award is an annual football award for the best player over the previous year. Ronaldo's two award wins have also since been matched by Robert Lewandowski and Lionel Messi. Here's what the Ballon d'Or definitely is not: a popularity contest. It promised to be a unique Ballon d'Or battle, with the World Cup taking place in the middle of the 2022-23 campaign, meaning it could be a distant memory by the time votes are cast. His pice de rsistance in this seasons Champions League came in form of a hat-trick against Paris Saint Germain, which saw Los Blancos recover from 0-2 on aggregate to claim a 3-2 win and secure their place in the quarter-finals. Robert Lewandowski - 69 goals (2021) . Messi was good this year, but nowhere near as good as Lewy was. When we look back at the 2021 Ballon d'Or, that inconsistency will be a hard one to explain. Ronaldo (17 in 2013-14 and 16 in 2015-16) is the only man to score more goals in a Champions League season. The race to win the Golden Ball is well and truly on, with the return of the Champions League having only intensified matters. Barcelona's Lionel Messi has won six of the past 12 Ballons d'Or, with Ronaldo claiming five during his time at Manchester United and Real Madrid, while Real's Luka Modric won the other. Odds & lines subject to change. Robert Lewandowski was tipped by many to win the 2021 Ballon d'Or award after an outstanding year for club and country. He said, "I want to tell Robert you deserve your Ballon d'Or. The title already tipped you off. However, this summer saw the end to his spell in the Bundesliga as Lewandowski sought a new challenge, joining Barcelona in La Liga. #Bundesliga pic.twitter.com/gMhMYPrx3U. Thomas Muller believes that his team-mate can match Gerd Mullers record of 40 Bundesliga goals in one season. 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. I think a player who achieves this would win the Ballon dOr.. While Lewandowskis goals take the headlines, his work off the ball is just as appreciated by his team-mates, and another reason why he is regarded as the planets best striker. 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. Is Robert Lewandowski the best player in the world? The Best FIFA Awards: Who voted for who? The most recent winner is Lionel Messi in 2021. Robert Lewandowski (Poland, Bayern Munich), 580 pts. Lewandowski turns 34 next year, but 2022 is also a World Cup year. The exceptions have been for outstanding goalscoring campaigns at club level - Messi's 73 goals in 2011-12 (with 91 goals across 2012), 47 in 2009-10 and 51 last season - and Ronaldo's 55 in 2012-13. However, Robert Lewandowski's odds have tumbled, and while many believed the Bayern Munich striker was cruelly denied the 2020 award, his form this year has made him a worthy contender and the . Or Lewandowski's 1st? The only variation to date in the men's game came in 2021 when Lionel Messi controversially won the Ballon d'Or and Robert Lewandowski was awarded FIFA's The Best. The prolific striker, who has enjoyed an excellent start to life at Barcelona after leaving. It was first awarded in 1956. Michael Ballack (Bayer Leverkusen and Bayern Munich), 6. . Why Lionel Messi's 2021 Ballon d'Or win was a snub of Robert Lewandowski, Ronaldo fires back at France Football editor comment, World Cup playoffs draw and how they work. Cristiano Ronaldo's former teammate believes that . Only journalists vote in the latter theres no clear verification.. There was only 33 points difference between both the players. I won the Striker of the Year Award and no player can win an individual award without a strong team and loyal fans behind them. Gavi wins 2022 Kopa Trophy award. 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. Lewandowski scored 41 goals in the Bundesliga, beating the likes of Leo Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo to the award. 32 - Haaland (11th) arcelona striker Robert Lewandowski was handed on Monday the Muller Trophy which recognizes the player who scored the most goals with his club and . 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. This service is provided on News Group Newspapers' Limited's Standard Terms and Conditions in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie Policy. In the 2020/21 season, Lewandowski scored an incredible 48 goals and provided nine assists in 40 matches in all competitions, as Bayern won the Bundesliga, DFL-Supercup, UEFA Super Cup and FIFA. 11. A daily roundup of Bayern Munich news from Bavarian Football Works, By submitting your email, you agree to our, Robert Lewandowski has won the Golden Boot, and the Ballon dOr needs to be next, Stuttgart 1-2 Bayern Munich: Initial reactions and observations. 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. The most recent winner was Real Madrid's Karim Benzemais in 2022. for the first time since 1956 because of the coronavirus pause, saying there was a "lack of a sufficiently level playing field". Bayern's Jamal Musiala was third, with Dortmund's Jude Bellingham runner-up behind Pedri of Barcelona and Spain. Wasit the legend of Messi built over more than a decade? 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.