"Nobody deserves it more than he does" - Legendary goalkeeper Oliver Kahn picks his Ballon d'Or 2021 winner

Former Bayern Munich and Germany goalkeeper - Oliver Kahn
Former Bayern Munich and Germany goalkeeper - Oliver Kahn

The winner of the 2021 Ballon d'Or award is set to be announced next week, with everyone throwing their support behind their favorite candidates. Former Germany goalkeeper Oliver Kahn has named his pick for the coveted prize this year and it's not a surprising one.

According to the Bayern Munich icon, Bavarian striker Robert Lewandowski deserves to be crowned the best footballer on the planet this year. The legendary goalkeeper claims the Polish forward surpasses everyone else in 2021, adding that he would be disappointed if he didn't win it.

He was quoted as saying:

"I would be deeply disappointed if Robert didn't win the Ballon d'Or. Nobody deserves it more than he does."

The winner of the 2021 Ballon d'Or award will be announced by France Football at the award gala at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris on November 29.

Robert Lewandowski is one of the favorites to go home with this year's accolade. The striker has been at an incredible level over the last three seasons and has earned the backing of many to emerge victorious in the race for the coveted prize.

Meanwhile, the Bayern Munich striker faces intense competition from Lionel Messi, who led Argentina to claim the Copa America this summer. Chelsea and Italy midfielder Jorginho has been tipped by many as well following his success across three major European competitions over the last couple of months.

The likes of Karim Benzema, Cristiano Ronaldo, Ngolo Kante and Kevin de Bruyne are also in the running for the award and will fancy their chances. It remains to be seen who will come out on top when the winner is announced on Monday.

The attacker is well-poised to win his first Ballon d'Or award this year
The attacker is well-poised to win his first Ballon d'Or award this year

Why Robert Lewandowski would be a worthy winner of the Ballon d'Or 2021

It goes without saying that Robert Lewandowski was in a class of his own during the recently concluded campaign. The striker outscored everyone across Europe's top-five leagues, winning the European Golden Shoe with his return of 41 goals for Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga.

The Polish forward ended the term with 48 goals and nine assists in 41 appearances across all competitions, winning the league title and the German Super Cup. He's off to a great start this season, bagging 25 goals and two assists for the Bavarians across all fronts so far. It remains to be seen if those numbers will be enough to fire him to a Ballon d'Or triumph.

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