With the 2022 Ballon d'Or award ceremony set to take place on Monday, FC Barcelona star Robert Lewandowski has now issued a snarky remark about the accolade many feel he should have won in 2020.
With the award being considered by many to be the most esteemed individual football prize in the world, organisers France Football have made a new change to the criteria for the winner, with it now taking into consideration candidates' performances over a season instead of a calendar year like in previous editions.
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On Monday, the Golden Ball will thus be awarded to the best player of the 2021/22 campaign, as voted for by 100 select journalists from around the world, with Real Madrid talisman Karim Benzema widely thought to be the outright favourite following his sensational season for Real Madrid and France that saw him win the UEFA Champions League and LaLiga titles, and the UEFA Nations League with Les Bleus.
With the gala event now just days away, new Barca striker Lewandowski, who is also nominated for the prize, discussed the possibility of the Los Blancos striker winning the honour, and also hinted at his frustration following the cancellation of the award in 2020, when he looked poised to win it.
"He's [Benzema] probably one of the favourites to win the Ballon d'Or, of course if they don't cancel it, then probably he's going to win this Ballon d'Or, yeah," the Poland international told Movistar Plus.
Lewandowski was infamously denied the opportunity to clinch his first Golden Ball in 2020 after he scored 55 goals and contributed 10 assists for his previous club Bayern Munich as they won the Champions League, the Bundesliga, and the DFB-Pokal titles.
In 2021, the Ballon d'Or was won for the seventh time by Paris Saint-Germain superstar Lionel Messi, who, in his award speech, said Lewandowski deserved the trophy the previous year.
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"I would like to mention Robert Lewandowski, it's been a real honour to compete with you," Messi said after collecting the 2021 trophy, per Goal.
"Everyone knows and we agree that you were the winner last year. I think France Football should award you your 2020 Ballon d'Or – you deserve it and you should have it at home."
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