A second Champions League triumph would also add to his cause, and his 12 goals across eight appearances in the competition have been crucial in Bayerns pursuit of a seventh European Cup. Lewandowskis coach, Hansi Flick, acknowledges that he is lucky enough to have the best striker in the world at his disposal. Thats what talkSPORT.com is looking at, stretching back to 2000. The 2021 calendar year didn't present voters forthe men's Ballon d'Or with many can't-misscandidates, but there was one staring them right in the face. Since the turn of the year, the Polish striker has. Judged by a panel of journalists, the Ballon dOr ran in conjunction with FIFA from 2010 until 2015, when the governing body split to create its own and much less prestigious Best Player award. He claimed his first in 2008, with further successes coming in 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2017. Club career Early career "When I was six, I remember Roberto Baggio at the 1994 World Cup. Odds & lines subject to change. Copyright 2023 Sporting News Holdings Limited. So Lewandowski is the best striker for club and country and yet he finished second forthe Ballon d'Or? In the last year hes strengthened his position as Polands all-time top goalscorer even further. He was runner-up to Lionel Messi in 2021. Who, then, has put themselves in the frame for the biggest individual honour of them all, and who has some catching up to do? More than 170 media members around the world submitted a top-fivevotefor the Ballon d'Or by the Oct. 24 deadline. Borussia Dortmund's Erling Haaland has finished 11th in the final Ballon d'Or poll, ahead of the likes of Neymar and Romelu Lukaku. However, the award also caused controversy many times, the most recent example being the cancellation for 2020 due to COVID-19, when many . Probably not. Messi has won the men's Ballon d'Or award a record seven times, Cristiano Ronaldo has won the award five times. It seems cruel not to have the Ballon d'Or this year.". With the seasons hes just had, France Football cannot afford to ignore Robert Lewandowski any longer. Messi won the seventh Ballon d'Or on Monday, but said Lewandowski, the runner-up, should have won last year. When we look back at the 2021 Ballon d'Or, that inconsistency will be a hard one to explain. Unfortunately, the award was cancelled in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. Last year, Lewy narrowly missed out on the honor due to Ciro Immobile being awarded 14 (!) 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. Ballon d'Or. 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. +++LEWANDOWSKI NAMED STRIKER OF THE YEAR+++. The Best FIFA Awards: Who voted for who? 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. . Well not every sport, as there is a list of unusual sports, extinct sports and newly created sports. AZ, CO, CT, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, (select parishes), MD, MI, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OR, PA, TN, VA, WV, WY, CA-ONT only.Eligibility restrictions apply. Lewandowski was undoubtedly denied the honour by last years cancellation, but 12 months later hes still fully deserving of the accolade. To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. His importance to Mauricio Pochettinos side cannot be underestimated with 17 goals and 13 assists across 27 appearances in all competitions, but may be hampered by PSGs continued underachievement in Europe. There was recognition for a host of Bundesliga youngsters too, with Jude Bellingham coming second in the Kepa Trophy for the best U21 player, while Jamal Musiala was third, Florian Wirtz seventh and Gio Reyna ninth. Terms at draftkings.com/sportsbook. Is Robert Lewandowski the best player in the world? From Miami to Manchester! Only the 2022/23 season achievements will be taken into account. Lewandowski bagged 34 goals in 31 league games, with Immobile managing 36 in 37. 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. Diego Forlan (Atletico Madrid and Inter Milan), 8. 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. Since 2008, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have dominated the prestigious World Soccer award, with Xavi and Luka Modric bucking the trend in 2010 and 2018 respectively. Four Bundesliga players feature in the top 10 for the Kepa Trophy, given to the best player under the age of 21. We want to see Robert Lewandowski awarded the Ballon dOr this year. Robert Lewandowski (Poland, Bayern Munich), 580 pts. What competition does he have? 2023 Eurosport, a Warner Bros. Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window). 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. When asked by Sportowe Fakty which player he felt deserved to win the 2020 Ballon d'Or, Lewandowski simply replied: "Me. The 33-year-old is on course to win a 10th Bundesliga title this season with Bayern nine points clear of Borussia Dortmund on the top of the table. He scored a goal an average of once every 75 minutes - and had a hand in one every 64 minutes. 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. We won everything we could with Bayern. He is one of the most complete strikers around, if not the The recent history of the Ballon d'Or award would seem to indicate that there is no equivocation about what voters are actually rewarding: It's a player's performanceover the course of a season and the individual and team accolades that come with it. Lewandowski scored 41 goals in the Bundesliga, beating the likes of Leo Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo to the award. It was first awarded in 1956. A brace against Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Nations League in October took him to 63 goals in 114 caps. How the third item is a relevant criteria is difficultto grasp, but what's clear is that there's a strong argument that Lewandowski edges Messi in the first two categories. Lionel Messi has won the Golden Ball award, becoming the first player in history to . 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. 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. But what did footballs top prize look like before Messi and Ronaldo took over? 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. It was first awarded in 1956. pic.twitter.com/zDix2v3jO6. Or was it Argentina's Copa America triumph? 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. For more information, visit ow.ly/hElK50LwENy. 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. That's where Lewandowski stands apart. Robert Lewandowski, who would surely have won the award had it not been cancelled in 2020, is joined by the likes of Lionel Messi and Karim Benzema among the favourites for the Men's Ballon d . Please enter a valid email and try again. Lionel Messi has won the men's 2021 Ballon d'Or, and a record seventh trophy, at an awards ceremony in Paris on Monday evening.. Messi, 34, held off the challenge of Bayern Munich's Robert . Robert Lewandowski won the FIFA Best Men's Player Award last year and was well clear of his competition. Ronaldo (17 in 2013-14 and 16 in 2015-16) is the only man to score more goals in a Champions League season. Robert Lewandowski - 672 points Lewandowski deserved the 2020 award and would be third in . Each player received points for theplacement earned on each ballot1st place: sixpoints; 2nd place: fourpoints; 3rd place: threepoints; 4th place twopoints; 5th place: onepoint and we'll soon find out which media voted for which players. Other Bundesliga players to have won it are Allan Simonsen (Borussia Mnchengladbach) and Kevin Keegan (Hamburg). Looking at the statistics, it is easy to understand why so many deem Lewandowski to have been robbed of the Ballon d'Or award, after it was cancelled for the first time due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. ", MORE: World Cup playoffs draw and how they work. Their decision led to an unhappy reaction from fans around the world, especially as it appeared that Lewandowski would likely have been the recipient. It made for a curiouscoincidence that France Football, the publication thathas been awarding theBallon d'Orsince 1956, came up with a new award in 2021 to honor the best striker in the world. R. Caswell 6mo ago LIVE Points 592 Rating Did this Help Answer Your Question? Last updated on 18 September 202018 September 2020.From the section European Football. The Pole made history as Bayern Munich won the Treble, and he won the Golden Boot in all three competitions, with a remarkable 55 goals in 47 games. By Ryan Reid. Chelsea midfielder N'golo Kante is fifth, Real Madrid's Karim Benzema is fourth and Jorginho third +++DONNARUMMA WINS YASHIN TROPHY AS BEST GOALKEEPER+++. How many ballon d'ors does lewandowski have? Bayern Munich get the Bundesliga season under way on Friday against Schalke as Robert Lewandowski bids to build on one of the greatest seasons ever. When you see how consistently he scores, its definitely within the realm of possibility, said his Bayern compatriot. Here is the Ballon d'Or points breakdown in full. 1997-2023 Topend Sports Network Since then, nine of the 13 winners (well, four names - Kaka, Ronaldo, Messi and Modric) have won the Champions League that season. Furthermore, his home country of Poland gave him the number one spot. Yes we all knew . Either Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo (five wins). Objective observersmight very well put Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, Mohamed Salah, Karim Benzema, and perhaps even Erling Haaland ahead of the Polish forward. While he is loved in Bavaria, in Poland he is a national hero. Was it the individual stats without the context? However, he missed out on the European Golden Shoe - for the top league scorer in the continent - to Lazio's Ciro Immobile. 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. "[Lewandowski] had a great year, and from year to year he outdoes himself and shows the class of forward he is and the facility he has to score goals," Messi said about Lewandowski in a post-event press conference. The Portugal star has also recorded six second-place finishes as well as coming third once. 27 - Ronaldo (6th)#BallondOr ranking in brackets. To be as remarkable as the Bayern striker, and practically week after week. 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. Web Karim Benzema is presently the odds-on favorite to win the award while Robert Lewandowski Sadio Mane and Kylian . Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland came 11th in the vote, while Bayern captain Manuel Neuer was fifth in the goalkeeping category. The most recent winner was Real Madrid's Karim Benzemais in 2022. The treble took the Poland captain to 248 Bundesliga goals. 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. Last year everyone agreed that you were the winner. Simon Borg is a senior editor for football/soccer at The Sporting News. By choosing I Accept, you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. We also have sports winners lists, and about major sports events and a summary of every year. The Poland international has been one of the most prolific scorers in European football over the last 12 years,. And now. "August","September","October","November","December") Ronaldo (17 in 2013-14 and 16 in 2015-16) is the only man to score more goals in a Champions League season. The 2022 Ballon dor will be presented in October, with the prestigious award now being given to the best player over a season rather than a calendar year. He can head the ball, finish and hold it up. Egypt were defeated in the Africa Cup of Nations Final by Senegal, while the same opponents denied the Pharaohs a place at this years World Cup with Salah missing a crucial spot-kick in the playoff penalty shootout. He scored a remarkable 15 Champions League goals in his first nine games this season (only failing to score in the final). Lewy might already have a FIFA The Best award under his belt, but he wants that Ballon dOr, and all of us Bayern Munich fans want him to get it too. 18. The Ballon d'Or award is an annual football award for the best player over the previous year. Robert Lewandowski - 69 goals (2021) . Lewandowski deserved it. Home > Sports > List > Football > Resources > Winners > Awards > Ballon d'Or > Winners. To learn more or opt-out, read our Cookie Policy. He is the most professional player I have ever met, said Pep Guardiola of Lewandowski. Thomas Muller believes that his team-mate can match Gerd Mullers record of 40 Bundesliga goals in one season. Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich and Barcelona), 10. Watch: Robert Lewandowski's 41-goal season. Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich) 9. Lewandowski turns 34 next year, but 2022 is also a World Cup year. Many fans feel that 2020 standout Robert Lewandowski was robbed of the honour, while others debate Lionel Messi put up an admirable defence of the award.. As we approach 2020's The Best FIFA Football Awards, on the same day in which the Ballon d'Or is typically announced, I aimed to . 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). , How Man Utd can end their Anfield hoodoo , Where next for Neymar? High praise indeed from a man who has spent his entire coaching career working with only the elite. arcelona striker Robert Lewandowski was handed on Monday the Muller Trophy which recognizes the player who scored the most goals with his club and . They also have a different voting system.The Best has two phases: first, a panel of experts chooses the 10 nominees per award. 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. Cmon France Football, do something right for once. , 'They're taking the p*ss!' document.write("Page last modified: "+ md.getDate()+" " + months[md.getMonth()] Gavi wins 2022 Kopa Trophy award. "I want to share it with my national team teammates and thank them. Yes he won an international trophy, but theres a difference between winning the Copa America with Argentina and competing in the Euros with Poland. 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. The show must go on: Predicting Barcelona's 2021/22 season . Last year, everyone was in agreement to say that you were the big winner of this award.. Spare a thought for Robert Lewandowski pic.twitter.com/yeYIVJ3VU9, Lewandowski was the #BallonDor winner and it shouldnt have been close but here we are. This service is provided on talkSPORT Ltd's Terms of Use in accordance with our Privacy Policy. With younger players like Mbappe, Haaland and even Vinicius Jr. just entering their prime, Messi couldbe right: Lewandowski may very well have to outdo himself yet again. And as 2021 proved, even that might not be enough. "Congratulations Leo Messi and Alexia Putellas, winners of the Ballon d'Or 2021," Lewandowski tweeted afterwards. Wayne Rooney (Everton and Manchester United), 10. Gambling problem? George Best won a Ballon d'Or. Ive come to the conclusion that the FIFA award does matter more. . There is little doubt the Bayern Munich and Poland striker is a worthy winner of a second successive Best FIFA Men's . The all-time record of 365, also held by Gerd Muller, once seemed like a distant dream, but now is well within his sights. Its also interesting to see who made it into voters lists of the top ten footballers in the world from every year since the turn of the millennium, including this one. 30 - Mbapp (9th) Messi won it from 2009 to 2012 and then again in 2015, 2019 and 2021. . His record for PSG has been respectable, but not at the stratospheric heights that we have come to expect from the flea. Ronaldo has won the Ballon d'Or five times in his illustrious career. Football fans claim Robert Lewandowski was 'disrespected' during Monday's Ballon d'Or ceremony. Many eyebrows were raised when he was denied a first golden globe in last years event, despite winning FIFAs Best Player award in each of the last two years. 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.