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Players like Lionel Messi, Robert Lewandowski and Jorginho are all credible contenders to win the Ballon d'Or this year. Almost the entire footballing world is in agreement that Robert Lewandowski deserved to win the Ballon d'Or in 2020. Unfortunately, the award was cancelled in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Robert Lewandowski won the FIFA Best Men's Player Award last year and was well clear of his competition. The Bayern Munich striker scored a whopping 55 goals and provided 10 assists in 47 appearances across all competitions for Bayern Munich in the 2019-20 season.
He was a standout performer for the Bavarians as they went on to win the continental treble. So it's clear as day that Robert Lewandowski was robbed of the Ballon d'Or. But that didn't seem to bog him down at all. The Polish international had a spectacular 2020-21 season at an individual level.
This time around, Lewandowski faces competition from a few other players like Messi, Jorginho, Kante and even Cristiano Ronaldo. However, we believe that he should win the Ballon d'Or regardless. Without further ado, let's take a look at five reasons why Robert Lewandowski should win the Ballon d'Or ahead of Messi and Jorginho this year.
#5 Robert Lewandowski won the Bundesliga, Club World Cup and DFL Super Cup
Even though the Ballon d'Or is awarded to recognize the best player of the year, there is a limit to how far sheer individual brilliance can get you. After all, football is a team sport and what matters is for players to come together and function as a unit and help the team win trophies.
That's why winning trophies is also a criterion in awarding the Ballon d'Or. Lewandowski was Bayern Munich's best player as they won the Bundesliga in the 2020-21 season. He also won the Club World Cup with the Bavarians, scoring two goals and providing an assist in two appearances.
Lewandowski also won the DFL Supercup with Bayern Munich last term. Even though it's no match for the continental treble they won in the 2019-20 season, he has a decent trophy haul.
#4 More consistent over the course of the 2020-21 season than Messi and Jorginho
Robert Lewandowski has been one of the most consistent players on the planet over the last decade. But he has become Europe's most prolific goalscorer in recent years. Lewandowski has been way more consistent over the course of the 2020-21 season than his competition.
Lionel Messi had a very difficult start to the 2020-21 season. After a summer where he was forced to stay at Barcelona, Messi did not hit the ground running in the early stages of the 2020-21 season. Barcelona suffered greatly during that time. In fact, Messi only truly hit his stride in 2021 and that's when their fortunes improved.
Jorginho was part of a Chelsea side that was in dire straits by the time Frank Lampard was sacked in January and Thomas Tuchel was appointed in his place.
The Italian international was also being slammed in various circles for not offering much on either side of the pitch until Tuchel came along. Lewandowski did not have a rough patch. He just kept scoring goals throughout the season and has been a consistent performer for Bayern Munich.
#3 Robert Lewandowski has got off to a flying start in the 2021-22 season
Kicking on from the previous point, Robert Lewandowski seems to be able to sustain his form over long spells. He has picked up right where he left off in the 2020-21 season and has got off to a flying start to the new season.
Performances turned in by players up until the award is granted will be taken into consideration. Lewandowski is doing himself a great service by keeping his prolific goalscoring form intact.
The 33-year-old has scored seven goals from four appearances across the Bundesliga and the DFL Supercup so far this season. He has also scored three goals and provided two assists in for Poland in the FIFA World Cup Qualifers as well this month. If Lewandowski can keep this up, it will be hard to look past him as far as the Ballon d'Or race is concerned.
#2 Best goalscoring rate among strikers in Europe's top 5 leagues
We've gotten used to seeing Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo clock incredible individual numbers over the past decade or so. Both players would often have more than 50+ goals and assists across all competitions in a season.
Lewandowski has done that over the past few campaigns. In the 2020-21 season, he scored 48 goals and provided nine assists in 40 appearances across all competitions. He was involved in a whopping 57 goals in just 40 appearances last term.
He also had a goalscoring rate of 1.2 goals per game. These are unmatched levels of productivity and even Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe do not have better numbers than Lewandowski.
#1 Record-breaking season in the Bundesliga
Robert Lewandowski won the European Golden Shoe in the 2020-21 season. He did so by scoring 41 goals. In doing so, the Bayern Munich striker also broke Gerd Muller's record for most goals scored (40) in a single Bundesliga season.
What's even more impressive is the fact that Lewandowski scored 41 goals and provided seven assists in just 29 Bundesliga appearances last term. That means he was involved in more than 1.5 goals per game in the Bundesliga last season. If that is not the definition of individual brilliance, we don't know what is.
He broke a record that had stood for 49 years and he did it in emphatic fashion. Lewandowski was a cut above the rest when it came to individual performances last season and that's why he deserves to win the Ballon d'Or this year.
