Lionel Messi won his 7th Ballon d’Or award, which is an individual record, two more than his closest rival Cristiano Ronaldo.
Bayern Munich’s Robert Lewandowski came second in the Ballon d’Or awards 2021. However, he was the frontrunner in 2020. But the award was cancelled last year due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
Messi said while receiving his seventh Ballon d’Or award: “Robert, you deserve your Ballon d’Or. Last year, everyone agreed to say that you were the big winner of this award.
“Hopefully France Football will give you the 2020 Ballon d’Or. We all believe you deserved it and I hope you can have it at home.”
Lewandowski told Polish outlet Kanale Sportowym, via Marca: “I felt sadness “I can’t deny it.”
“I can’t say I was happy, on the contrary. I have a feeling of sadness. To be so close, to compete with Messi, of course I respect how he plays and what he has achieved. The mere fact that I was able to compete with him shows me the level that I was able to reach.”
Lewandowski responds to Messi’s statement of giving the Ballon d’Or 2020 award to him
The Poland international further commented on Messi’s statement: “I’m not that enthusiastic about getting the 2020 award.”
“I would like it [Messi’s 2020 Ballon d’Or statement] to be a sincere and courteous statement from a great player and not just an empty words.”
In the 2020-21 season, Lewandowski scored an incredible 48 goals and provided nine assists in 40 matches in all competitions. He helped Bayern Munich to win the UEFA Champions League, Bundesliga, DFL-Supercup, UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup as they won the European treble.
During this current season, he has already scored 16 Bundesliga goals in 14 games. So the claims of Lewandowski being robbed of the Ballon d’Or award is somewhat true to some extent.
