Barcelona striker Robert Lewandowski has admitted he is still haunted by his Ballon d’Or disappointment at Bayern Munich. The Poland international was favourite for the 2020 award before it was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and then came second to Lionel Messi in the vote the following year.

• Lewandowski opens up on Golden Ball woes
• Claims peak career form was overlooked
• Tips Yamal, Raphinha for future awards

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Lewandowski looked a shoo-in for the 2020 Ballon d’Or after an extraordinary season with Bayern Munich. His lethal finishing had powered the German giants to a domestic and European treble, and he sat at the very top of the world game. But in a twist that still gnaws at him, the award was scrapped entirely that year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. It was a decision that denied Lewandowski his best chance at footballing immortality, and one that he has not forgotten.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Determined to prove himself again, Lewandowski returned in 2021 with an even more jaw-dropping individual campaign. The striker smashed Gerd Muller’s long-standing Bundesliga record with 41 goals in a single season, firing Bayern to a ninth straight league crown. 

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  DID YOU KNOW?

  Still, when the Ballon d’Or votes were counted, it was Messi who claimed the Golden Ball. The Argentine had enjoyed a stellar year of his own, scoring 38 goals, assisting 14 more, and leading Barcelona to Copa del Rey glory. Crucially, he had also spearheaded Argentina’s Copa America triumph, their first major title in nearly three decades.

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• WHAT LEWANDOWSKI SAID

  Messi used his victory speech to praise Lewandowski, telling the audience he “deserved” the 2020 honour. But for the Polish forward, the sentiment did little to ease the hurt.

  "I was in the best moment of my career, I won everything with my club," he said in a new interview with the "I think the difficult thing with that case is until now I don't know why."

Tags: Futebol
Category: News