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. 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. The most successful man in the history of the award will be hoping for an eighth golden ball in the twilight years of his career. I dont think he commands the global image. He scored a remarkable 15 Champions League goals in his first nine games this season (only failing to score in the final). 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. He scored a goal an average of once every 75 minutes - and had a hand in one every 64 minutes. Join GOAL as our 12-month Ballon d'Or Power Rankings journey continues (Previous update: February 13, 2022. Club career Early career "When I was six, I remember Roberto Baggio at the 1994 World Cup. Robert Lewandowski Not a chance. But Messi wasn't even the most important player on his team during the Copa America. Oops. 29 - Salah (7th) That ended two years ago with midfielder Modric winning after a Champions League final success and Croatia's run to the 2018 World Cup final. Yes we all knew . Manchester United 0 - [1] Barcelona - Robert Lewandowski penalty 18' + Replay. . In the second phase, journalists, fans, national team managers and captains all have a 25% of weight on the final results. And it wasn't Lionel Messi. Before the Champions League final, he told BBC Radio 5 Live: "Lewandowski has been amazing for a good part of a decade but this year he has gone up another level. 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. Nov 7, 2022. How @Lewy_Official shaped up against the rest of Europe week by week in 2020/21. Yet while the legendary Poland striker has always been an exceptional talent, in 2020 he secured his status as undoubtedly one of the finest centre-forwards of his generation, with the 32-year-olds goalscoring exploits guiding Bayern Munich to a famous Champions League, Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal treble. Lewandowski won more trophies andscored 23 more goals for club and country. By Ryan Reid. Simon Borg is a senior editor for football/soccer at The Sporting News. 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. From Miami to Manchester! 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 . Thats what talkSPORT.com is looking at, stretching back to 2000. "I felt sad, I have nothing to hide," Lewandowski said. He was runner-up to Lionel Messi in 2021. 49 - Lewandowski (2nd) Organisers. We all know he should . The winner was favorite Real Madrid's Karim Benzema. In the Champions League he scored ten times in the group stage alone, and ended the campaign with 15 goals. dubz.co Kylian Mbappe (Monaco and Paris Saint-Germain), 2. The 30 nominees for the 2022 Ballon d'Or award were announced in August. 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 . Last season, Lewandowski finished as runner up in the Ballon d'Or, with Lionel Messi claiming his 7th award ahead of the Poland star. PSG duo Gianluigi Donnarumma and Kylian Mbappe have been announced in 10th and 9th place respectively in the Ballon d'Or voting. 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. Messi has won the men's Ballon d'Or award a record seven times, Cristiano Ronaldo has won the award five times. The title already tipped you off. Messi won the seventh Ballon d'Or on Monday, but said Lewandowski, the runner-up, should have won last year. Its a fair assessment given that the man from Warsaw has scored the most club goals in all competitions of any player in one of Europes top five leagues in each of the last three calendar years. Honestly, I dont understand anything anymore, Matthaus said. He cited his votes for the 2013 Ballon d'Or as an example: . 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. 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. Lionel Messi has won the Golden Ball award, becoming the first player in history to . 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. So despite a relatively poor start to life at PSG by his high standards, Messi has a record seventh Ballon dOr crown. MLS commissioner Garber suggests 'Beckham-like' deal for league to land Messi. The prolific striker, who has enjoyed an excellent start to life at Barcelona after leaving. The most recent winner is Lionel Messi in 2021. He claimed his first in 2008, with further successes coming in 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2017. Jorginho is getting Ballon dOr shouts because of the Euros, but hes not even Chelseas best midfielder, let alone the best player in the world. best No.9 in the world, he says. The last Bundesliga player to win was Borussia Dortmund's Matthias Sammer in 1996. To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United and Real Madrid), 7. But what did footballs top prize look like before Messi and Ronaldo took over? +++LEWANDOWSKI NAMED STRIKER OF THE YEAR+++. It used to change hands most years - until Messi and Ronaldo's 10-year dominance from 2008 to 2017. Lionel Messi has won FIFA Golden Ball award twice. Lewandowski Ballon d'Or winner odds For: Better than all the rest Nobody can match Lewandowski's output in 2021, and it's not even close. #9 Robert Lewandowski. The numbers have been frightening. Lionel Messi (Argentina, FC Barcelona, Paris-SG), 613 points. "This year he was honored as the top scorer, and I think yes he can make a run for the award next year. Only the 2022/23 season achievements will be taken into account. 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. 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. It's unclear whether the timing of the Ballon d'Or vote will change to account for a first-ever winter World Cup (ends Dec. 18, 2022), but Lewandowski and Poland will likely not be making a run in Qatar based on recent tournament history, and that's if they make it that far. The elite pressing unit that Flick has introduced at the Allianz Arena simply wouldnt be possible without the work that Lewandowski puts in up front. News Corp is a network of leading companies in the worlds of diversified media, news, education, and information services. Robert Lewandowski has clarified comments made in an interview with a Polish broadcaster which were widely reported to be critical of Lionel Messi 's speech at the Ballon d'Or ceremony.. How many ballon d'ors does lewandowski have? View our online Press Pack. @lewy_official #BallonDor #MiaSanMia pic.twitter.com/yF6JEce7zu. 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 would be the fourth Bayern player to pick up the Ballon dOr after the late Mller, Franz Beckenbauer and Karl-Heinz Rummenigge. "I think every player who won what we won or scored so many goals should maybe win this Ballon d'Or.". So Lewandowski is the best striker for club and country and yet he finished second forthe Ballon d'Or? 5/5. Lewandowski is unlikely to win the Ballon d'Or in his career now, with Karim Benzema the clear favourite for the 2022 accolade. 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's chances of winning would have been enhanced by the fact he's a striker - winners are usually forwards or creative midfielders and, more often than not, win the Champions League. The all-time record of 365, also held by Gerd Muller, once seemed like a distant dream, but now is well within his sights. Messi has won the men's Ballon d'Or award a record seven times, Cristiano Ronaldo has won the award five times. Bayern's Jamal Musiala was third, with Dortmund's Jude Bellingham runner-up behind Pedri of Barcelona and Spain. The Best FIFA Awards: Who voted for who? 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. 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. At one stage during his youth, he even considered giving up on football to become a cross-country runner. 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. This service is provided on talkSPORT Ltd's Terms of Use in accordance with our Privacy Policy. As you can see by the map, Europe's voting alone would have seen Robert Lewandowski win the 2021 Ballon d'Or. Barca Universal writers pick their Ballon d'Or top three for 2021. However, he was heavily tipped to win the Ballon d'Or in 2020, but the ceremony was called off due to the Covid-19 pandemic and a winner was never named. The 21-year-old just brought up his 50th goal in as many Bundesliga appearances - expect to see him on the podium in the not too distant future. The Frenchman has been in fine form this season, with his 34 goals and 13 assists leading Real Madrids charge for domestic and European success. Lionel Messi admitted Robert Lewandowski "deserved to win the Ballon d'Or". Seven-time winner Lionel Messi was not on the list (for the first time since 2005), though Ronaldo did make the cut.The ceremony announcing the winners was held on October 17 at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris. Even after having achieved so much, he has plenty of targets on the horizon, and he doesnt look like missing. Toni Kroos (Bayern Munich and Real Madrid), 10. (2016, 2017) and Robert Lewandowski (2020, 2021). In 44 competitive games for the German record champions till now, the 31-year-old has scored an incredible 45 goals. He doesnt excite voters. + " " + md.getFullYear()). 'Political award' - Ibrahimovic says Ballon d'Or snub due to Mr Perfect criteria, Ballon dOr overhauled in major shake up to award. George Best won a Ballon d'Or. 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. Five observations from Bayern Munichs lethargic 2-1 win against VfB Stuttgart, Sign up for the Kevin de Bruyne (Manchester City) has landed in 8th, Mo Salah (Liverpool) in 7th and Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United) 6th. PSG exited the Champions League at the last-16 stage to Real Madrid, lost in the French Super Cup to Lille and were beaten by Nice in the French Coupe de France. The race to win the Golden Ball is well and truly on, with the return of the Champions League having only intensified matters. Messi, who won the 2021 Ballon d'Or, acknowledged Lewandowski's achievements in his acceptance speech. His four best campaigns until now were his previous four, with excellent consistency bringing him 42, 43, 41 and 40 goals. 679215 Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. It should be about a body of workand not a heart-tugging story. Despite all the knee injuries, Ronaldo still managed to win two Ballon d'Or awards in 1997 and 2002. 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. Now of course, you know what were going to say next. But despite these fundamental changes, the usual suspects are set to battle it out once again to receive what is arguably the most respected individual award in world football. 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. But he will not be winning the Ballon d'Or, football's top individual prize. It's getting tense now! ", MORE: World Cup playoffs draw and how they work. The most recent winner was Real Madrid's Karim Benzemais in 2022. 28 - Vlahovi (N/A) 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. For more information, visit ow.ly/hElK50LwENy. Ruud van Nistelrooy (Manchester United), 10. We'll soon find out whether Lewandowski was an outright snub for some of those who had a vote, and whether there were any media who didn't even have him in their top three. Hopefully, France Football could deliver it to you and you can have it in your home. The Ballon d'Or is voted for by 180 journalists from around the world, although there was no award in 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic. Lewandowski is a finisher and pure striker; Messi is more of a magicaldribbler and creative force, who sees more of the ball. Zlatan Ibrahimovic (AC Milan and Paris Saint-Germain), 4. Lewandowski scored 16 goals more than any other player in Europe's top five leagues across all competitions in 2019-20, as he was top scorer in the Champions League, Bundesliga and German Cup. All rights reserved. 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. Ronaldo (17 in 2013-14 and 16 in 2015-16) is the only man to score more goals in a Champions League season. Was it the individual stats without the context? ROBERT LEWANDOWSKI will go down as one of the greatest players this generation. Last year, Lewy narrowly missed out on the honor due to Ciro Immobile being awarded 14 (!) David Beckham (Manchester United and Real Madrid), 5. 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. So what could have ultimately swayed media in Messi's direction? 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. For other inquiries, Contact Us. 1997-2023 Topend Sports Network Lewy was forced to be a one-man-show. I think a player who achieves this would win the Ballon dOr.. "Last year everyone was in agreement that you were the winner and I think that France Football should give you the Ballon d'Or that you deserve, and you should have it since you earned it and you won it last year. Wasit the legend of Messi built over more than a decade? He is a natural athlete; perhaps more than he is given credit for. Everything you need to know to make sure you never miss a moment. The show must go on: Predicting Barcelona's 2021/22 season . Four Bundesliga players feature in the top 10 for the Kepa Trophy, given to the best player under the age of 21. Here is the Ballon d'Or points breakdown in full. 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. When asked by Sportowe Fakty which player he felt deserved to win the 2020 Ballon d'Or, Lewandowski simply replied: "Me. Ronaldo (17 in 2013-14 and 16 in 2015-16) is the only man to score more goals in a Champions League season. for the first time since 1956 because of the coronavirus pause, saying there was a "lack of a sufficiently level playing field". Robert Lewandowski was named as Striker of the Year on Monday night as French magazine *France Football* presented the award for the first time this year at . Web Karim Benzema is presently the odds-on favorite to win the award while Robert Lewandowski Sadio Mane and Kylian . and Robert Lewandowski. R. Caswell 6mo ago LIVE Points 592 Rating Did this Help Answer Your Question? Robin van Persie (Arsenal and Manchester United), 10. 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. 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. He said, "I want to tell Robert you deserve your Ballon d'Or. Then my idol was Thierry Henry. His chances are very high probably even higher than last year. 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. It was a season which lasted so long that he started it as a 30-year-old and was 32 by the time it finished. The Bayern man is the reigning Best FIFA Mens Player and recently picked up the European Golden Shoe as Europes top scorer in the 2020/21 season after he scored 41 goals to break Gerd Mllers 49-year record for most goals in a Bundesliga campaign. Luckily, Immobiles improbable feat didnt repeat itself, and wouldnt have mattered if it did. 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. The Portugal star has also recorded six second-place finishes as well as coming third once. 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). Robert Lewandowski was tipped by many to win the 2021 Ballon d'Or award after an outstanding year for club and country. Toni Kroos, expressed his opinion that Robert Lewandowski should have received the Ballon d'Or instead of Lionel Messi in 2021 . Ex-Chelsea ace Costa carried off with serious-looking injury for Wolves vs Spurs, Cherries take shock lead at Arsenal after 9 SECONDS with 'kick-off glitch', Moment Aston Villa's Leon Bailey inhales 'laughing gas' after all night party, 'Professional boxer' Paul teases announcement with hilarious video after Fury loss, News Group Newspapers Limited in England No. Europes meanest attack and a club DNA built on European success, Bayern can be confident of completing a double over French champions. Diego Forlan (Atletico Madrid and Inter Milan), 8. 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). We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from. News Corp is a network of leading companies in the worlds of diversified media, news, education, and information services. In 2020, though, there was no doubt about who would win, with Lewandowski vastly out-performing both with unrivalled goal-scoring and a treble win with Bayern Munich. Terms at draftkings.com/sportsbook. On Monday evening Lionel Messi won the . No one will ever dispute that Messi is still one of the best players in the world and one of theall-time greats, but his seventh Ballon d'Or felt like a reach compared to whatRobert Lewandowski accomplished for Bayern Munich and Poland in 2021. 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. You were the rightfulwinner [last year]. 16. To be as remarkable as the Bayern striker, and practically week after week. Web With the 2022 FIFA World Cup now behind us the race for the 2023 Ballon dOr is well and truly on. So if Argentina doesn't survive the semifinal penalty-kick shootout against Colombia, then Messi would have missed out on the Ballon d'Or? However, the award also caused controversy many times, the most recent example being the cancellation for 2020 due to COVID-19, when many . Over the entirety of the campaign, Lewandowski only failed to score in nine of his 47 appearances in all competitions. By choosing I Accept, you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. Furthermore, his home country of Poland gave him the number one spot. Ronaldo has won the Ballon d'Or five times in his illustrious career. Real Madrid star Toni Kroos was vocal about Lionel Messi winning the Ballon d'Or in 2021 and hinted that it should have been Robert Lewandowski. 1 Answer The Ballon d'Or is an annual football award presented by the French news magazine France Football. The ceremony for the Fifa Best Awards - which are slightly less prestigious - was also cancelled, although Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge saysexternal-link Fifa will still be handing out an award to the world's best player. Who, then, has put themselves in the frame for the biggest individual honour of them all, and who has some catching up to do? Ballon d'Or/Winners (2021) 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. How to get on these lists? 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. He also holds the record as Poland's all-time top scorer with 76 goals during his time in the national team, placing him 11th in the record books for most international goals, and only behind. While Ronaldo currently has more goals overall, Messi has the edge in the scoring department, with a higher season average (37.9 to 35), having hit a high of 73 goals in 2011-12, though his average dropped after a disappointing maiden campaign at PSG in 2021-22. Who is the best Ballon d'Or winner? Robert Lewandowski will have more reason to be upset than anyone at Lionel Messi's seventh Ballon d'Or triumph. 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. Angel di Maria (Real Madrid and Manchester United), 3. 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. 11. No leeway at the top, but Bayern Munich keep winning. 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. Ballon d'Or. More than 170 media members around the world submitted a top-fivevotefor the Ballon d'Or by the Oct. 24 deadline. Lewandowski's year featured both consistency and results. 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. Read about our approach to external linking. A brace against Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Nations League in October took him to 63 goals in 114 caps. As well as his record-breaking efforts last season, the Bayern No.9 has struck 25 times in 20 competitive matches so far in 2021/22. The latest rumours and stories from around the world of football. Karim Benzema, Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappe and Mohamed Salah also had polite claims for a shot at the award. 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 . He has everything you need up front. This service is provided on talkSPORT Ltd's Terms of Use in accordance with our Privacy Policy. Since then, nine of the 13 winners (well, four names - Kaka, Ronaldo, Messi and Modric) have won the Champions League that season. With the seasons hes just had, France Football cannot afford to ignore Robert Lewandowski any longer. 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 . 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. It couldn't happenbecause of the pandemic, but I think you should also have it in your home.". Right now, he is simply untouchable as the most devastating attacker on the planet, and more determined than ever to be recognised as such. Lewandowski was the top scorer in the 2019/20 Bundesliga (34 goals), the UEFA Champions League (15) and DFB Cup (six). Lewandowski's outstanding performances have been convincing this year and he can now be happy about the good result at the Ballon d'Or. And why shouldnt it? Ronaldo has now won the award six times in the nine years that it has been presented. Didier Drogba (Chelsea and Atletico Madrid), 9. In October, he scored his second Bundesliga hat-trick of the season to take him to ten goals in just his fifth match nobody has ever reached the milestone quicker. Bayern Munich striker and Polish forward Robert Lewandowski was regarded as unlucky to lose out on the 2020 Ballon d'Or award, which was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic. How to get into football - the most popular sport in the world, with clubs and facilities throughout the UK. Or was it Argentina's Copa America triumph? But despite a successful season at club level so far, Salah has suffered two major disappointments at international level. Copyright 2023 Sporting News Holdings Limited. Something went wrong. An award like the Ballon d'Or needs to be based on more than the final result of a penalty-shootout lottery or even asingle-game final tipping in your favor.
