Robert Lewandowski offered a gracious congratulations to Lionel Messi after finishing runner-up to the Paris Saint-Germain forward at the 2021 Ballon d’Or ceremony but his native country’s media were seemingly furious that he was pipped to the award.
After scoring 47 goals in 44 games, the Bayern Munich striker had been the favourite for the 2020 award, which was scrapped due to the impact of Covid on the football calendar. The 33-year-old followed that up with 64 goals in 54 matches this year, winning the Bundesliga, DFL-Supercup and European Golden Shoe.
“Congratulations Leo Messi and Alexia Putellas, winners of the Ballon d’Or 2021,” Lewandowski wrote on Twitter.
“Congratulations also to all nominated players! I won Striker of the Year award and no player can win an individual award without [the] strongest team and loyal fans behind him. Thank you for your support.”
Yet while he did receive recognition from France Football at their annual spectacle with one individual gong, his apparent usurpation for the main prize by Messi – who won the Copa America with Argentina but who has scored just one league goal since leaving Barcelona – has not been universally accepted.
German newspaper Bild described the decision as “scandalous”, adding: “This cannot be true.”
“After this decision, I don’t understand the world anymore,” former Germany midfielder Lothar Matthaus, who won the Ballon d’Or in 1990, told Sky Sports Germany.
“With all due respect to Lionel Messi and all the other great nominated players, nobody deserves it like Lewandowski. France Football didn’t award the prize last year, and if only because of all the titles that Robert has won with Bayern 2020, he is unrivalled not only in the last two years.
“But even if you only take 2021 into account, he was better than the rest. He broke Gerd Müller’s record of the century, is again top of the top scorers list in every competition, and has surpassed everyone nationally and internationally this year as well.”
Bayern’s US account tweeted that Lewandowski was “forever the best in our eyes”.
Jorginho, who finished third, was another player tipped to become just the second player to break Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo’s duopoly in the last 14 years, with only Luka Modric interrupting their run in 2018. The Chelsea midfielder played a key role in Italy’s triumph at Euro 2020 and won the Champions League under Thomas Tuchel.
Full Ballon d’Or rankings and points
(Premier League players in bold)
- 1. Lionel Messi (PSG) – 613
- 2. Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich) – 580
- 3. Jorginho (Chelsea) – 460
- 4. Karim Benzema (Real Madrid) – 239
- 5. N’golo Kante (Chelsea) – 186
- 6. Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United) – 178
- 7. Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) – 121
- 8. Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City) – 73
- 9. Kylian Mbappe (PSG) – 36
- 10. Gianluigi Donnarumma (PSG) – 36
- 11. Erling Haaland (Borussia Dortmund) – 33
- 12. Romelu Lukaku (Chelsea) – 26
- 13. Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus) – 26
- 14. Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus) – 18
- 15. Raheem Sterling (Manchester City) – 10
- 16. Neymar (PSG) – 9
- 17. Luis Suarez (Atletico Madrid) – 8
- 18. Simon Kjaer (AC Milan) – 8
- 19. Mason Mount (Chelsea) – 7
- 20. Riyad Mahrez (Manchester City) – 7
- 21=. Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United) – 6
- 21=. Lautaro Martinez (Inter Milan) – 6
- 23. Harry Kane (Tottenham) – 4
- 24. Pedri (Barcelona) – 3
- 25. Phil Foden (Manchester City) – 2
- 26=. Nicolo Barella (Inter Milan) – 1
- 26=. Ruben Dias (Manchester City) – 1
- 26=. Gerard Moreno (Villarreal) – 1
- 29=. Luka Modric (Real Madrid) – 0
- 29=. Cesar Azpilicueta (Chelsea) – 0
from Football – inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/3d1I7gj
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