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The battle for the Ballon d'Or 2021 continues as the world waits to learn who will be crowned the best footballer in the world this year.
Barcelona legend Rivaldo has revealed his pick for the coveted prize, and it is none other than Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski.
The Brazilian believes Lewy is the favorite to go home with the accolade when it is awarded at the end of the month. He added that Lionel Messi and Mohamed Salah would be worthy winners as well.
He was quoted as saying:
"Robert Lewandowski is the favorite to win the Ballon d'Or when it is awarded on 29 November. He would be a deserved winner, as would Lionel Messi and Mo Salah."
Rivaldo showered further praise on Robert Lewandowski, who continues to provide answers for Bayern Munich in front of goal.
Lewandowski was in a class of his own last season, bagging 48 goals and nine assists for Bayern Munich in 40 appearances across all competitions.
The striker has started the new campaign on the front foot. He currently leads the Champions League top scorers' chart with eight goals and one assist to his name. He also sits at the top of the Bundesliga goalscoring chart with 12 goals and one assist.
The Polish forward put up an amazing performance against Benfica in the Champions League on Tuesday, and that apparently caught Rivaldo's attention.
The Brazilian said:
"The Bayern Munich striker is a fantastic player - a prolific goalscorer - who makes the difference for the Bavarians as we saw once again on Tuesday when he scored a hat-trick against Benfica and assisted to another goal."
Meanwhile, Robert Lewandowski has revealed that he has his eyes set on winning the Ballon d'Or award this year. After breaking Gerd Muller’s long-standing record for most goals in a Bundesliga season, the forward discussed his chances of winning the accolade.
He said:
"The possibility of winning the Ballon d'Or means a lot to me, it makes me feel proud, if you look at everything I've achieved, not just this year, last year as well when they canceled the ceremony, I've won a lot of titles, scored a lot of goals."
He added:
"It would mean a lot to me to win it, having won the Champions League, the Super Cup, the Club World Cup."
Who could rival Robert Lewandowski for the Ballon d'Or 2021?
The race for the Ballon d'Or 2021 is witnessing fierce competition. Robert Lewandowski's prolific outings with Bayern Munich make him a strong contender for the accolade. However, there are other players who have also had a spectacular year and could give him a run for his money.
Lionel Messi is considered one of the favorites for the accolade after leading Argentina to claim the Copa America this summer. Chelsea midfielder Jorginho is also in the running following his successful outing with club and country.
The likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, Ngolo Kante and Kevin De Bruyne are also among the top-rated contenders for the Ballon d'Or this year.
