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Robert Lewandowski has come a long way from being a shy Polish kid whose love for football transcended all boundaries to becoming one of the best players in the world.
Lewandowski is the idol every kid with a burning passion of the game should look up to. Yes, he may not be a magician like Lionel Messi, or have the aggression of Cristiano Ronaldo, but he is perfect the way he is.
Reading Lewandowski’s article, The Movie, in The Players’ Tribune, broke my heart. The bittersweet symphonies depicted in the article made me realise what he lost. His rise to superstardom means a lot to Polish kids who dreams of making their mark in the world of football.
This is all the more reason why my heart cries for him not winning the Ballon d’Or award this time or last year. Winning the award would have given all those who aspire to become professional footballers the motivation to rise to the top.
Robert Lewandowski has been on a tear in the last two years
The year 2020 was Robert Lewandowski’s, and no one can take that away from him. From winning the DFB Cup to lifting the DLF and UEFA Supercup, he showed what a trail of wins looked like.
Winning the Bundesliga has become a cup of tea for Lewy. But his exemplary performances in the Champions League have made me root for him as a player. He also won the FIFA Club World Cup in February this year. Tell me a deadlier combination than Bayern Munich and Robert Lewandowski!
He also had a monumental year in 2021, but that was not enough for Lewandowski to win the Ballon d’Or award. He broke Gerd Muller’s historic record (most goals in a Bundesliga campaign). More recently, the Pole racked up 81 goals in his first 100 Champions League games. In the process, Lewandowski has broken records and set benchmarks with his exemplary performances this year.
Sadly, scoring goals is not enough to become a Ballon d’Or winner. No matter how much I wanted Lewy to win, I could not ignore how Lionel Messi carried Argentina to the Copa America title this year, despite not scoring in the final.
Is Robert Lewandowski’s Striker of the Year award enough?
Many fans have observed that Robert Lewandowski’s Striker of the Year award is merely a consolation prize from France Football, and I wholeheartedly agree. He deserved to win the Ballon d’Or 2020 award. So rewarding him with a newly-created award does not do justice to the prolific Pole.
Why Lionel Messi deserved to win the Ballon d’Or 2021 award
The heading might seem a bit contradictory, as I am rambling on about why Lewandowski deserved to win Ballon d’Or 2021. But one cannot deny that Messi deserved it too. His exploits this year have been phenomenal, and he is the matchmaker magician every football fan looks up to.
Nevertheless, most fans are disappointed and outraged about Lewandowski not awarded the Ballon d’Or last year too. The decision to cancel the Ballon d’Or 2020 ceremony, and not postpone it, didn’t portray France Football in great light.
Messi dedicating his Ballon d’Or award to Lewandowski would have caused a huge stir in the football community. That would have made the Argentinian shine brighter than ever in my eyes.
Even if my heart thought, “One less Ballon d’Or for Messi is not that big a deal”, expecting it to happen in reality was a bit of a stretch. However, the winner did say:
"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.”
Why Robert Lewandowski not winning the Ballon d’Or is not the worst thing to happen
When my close friend said that whatever happens, Lewandowski will not go down in the history books of the Ballon d’Or, it pulled my heartstrings. It reminded me of Troy, when Achilles was narrated the following lines by his mother Thetis:
“And they'll all love you and remember your name. But when your children are dead, and their children after them, your name will be forgotten... If you go to Troy, glory will be yours.”
Similarly, we are talking about how Lewandowski deserved to win the Ballon d’Or, and how 2020 was his year. However, after twenty years, no one might be talking about the career-defining award Lewandowski richly deserved.
Lewandowski not winning the Ballon d’Or is not the worst part. The saddest part is him not etching his name in the history of France Football’s most prestigious award. It remains to be seen how he emerges from this setback and makes another run at the Ballon d'Or next year.
