Red-hot Robert Lewandowski has booked the empty slot on the Ballon d'Or shortlist

Ever since the Ballon d’Or and FIFA’s World Player of the Year award became one and the same in 2010, the honours list has been far less diverse than when the Ballon name applied only to European football.

Lionel Messi won the first three, from 2010-2012. He was then runner-up to Cristiano Ronaldo in 2013 and 2014. Ronaldo finished second for the last two of Messi’s three wins.

This means that, for the last four years of its five-year existence in its current form, the coveted award – which comes down to a final shortlist of three players each year – has been ‘Messi and Ronaldo, plus one other guy’.

Because of the sheer gravitas of having two players as positively awesome as Messi and Ronaldo in one era, actively battling for top spot, it’s easy to overlook the fact that Xavi (2011), Andres Iniesta (2012), Franck Ribery (2013) and Manuel Neuer (2014) could easily have joined the decorated list of men recognised as ‘the best player in the world’ at any one time, had they played in another era.

All four of the above would have been worthy top dogs… just not as worthy as the incomparable duo of Messi and Ronaldo. As a result, finishing third at a Ballon d’Or ceremony is almost an award in itself, and will probably be just that until the mighty duo retire (or wind down in MLS).

With the next award process fast approaching, a surefire candidate for the ‘unrecognised award’ of being able to share space with the two all-time greats has emerged, with emphatic style, undeniable drive and impeccable timing.

And, for the third straight year, it looks like Bayern Munich will be the proud owners of the 'best of the rest'’ player of the year.

Robert Lewandowski has scored an incredible 12 Bundesliga goals in 518 minutes of action across five starts and two substitute cameos. One of those appearances from off the bench was his infamous five-goal haul in just nine minutes against Wolfsburg – who finished second in the Bundesliga last season and were 1-0 ahead until the striker single-handedly won the match.

Once again, because we cannot get enough of it, here are the highlights of that particular star turn:

In addition, his 13 goals in Poland’s successful Euro 2016 qualification campaign came in just 10 games and put him four above Thomas Muller (yes, another Bayern marksman) of Germany.

Of course, strikers are paid to score goals. Yes, a forward will be up for accolades if they outscore their peers anyway, but Lewandowski’s contributions stretch beyond just putting the ball into the back of the net. Take the fifth and final goal from the above video, for example. It’s the sort of finish both Messi and Ronaldo would be very proud of.

But to really take into account just how much work Lewandowski has put into his all-round game over the last 10 months or more, the best comparison to draw is between the Lewandowski of 2015 and the Zlatan Ibrahimovic of 2009-10.

Ah, yes. Ibrahimovic at Barcelona. A signing which at the time appeared to be a match made in heaven – a proven front man heading up the tiki-taka golden generation of 2009 which gorged on silverware. It didn’t work out, however. Pep Guardiola had his own ideas as to how a No. 9 should operate within his white-hot brand of football, and Zlatan was far too proud to be told he had to start from square one.

Lewandowski, under Guardiola at Bayern, could easily have fell into that trap as Pep altered an already-successful Bavarian squad to reflect his philosophies. It’s fair to say that, at times, he has suffered – anyone favouring someone else for the Ballon shortlist over the Pole would argue that he hasn’t been consistent this year, at least for his club. Nonetheless, the last few months alone have highlighted just how good Lewandowski is at taking what he has and turning it into goals. And lots of them, too.

Just as he did at Borussia Dortmund, before his controversial move to the German giants, Lewandowski appreciates both the benefits and the drawbacks to playing up top in a line-up absolutely teeming with progressive attacking style and world-class providers.

A common misconception in football is that strikers should score goals on a sliding scale, corresponding to the quality of the service in their midfield. Sometimes, a predator has to actually work even harder to read, respond to and keep up with their colleagues at the very highest level. Especially when you consider the importance of hold-up play and forcing gaps in a back-line.

At clubs like Bayern and Barca, even a world-class finisher cannot simply expect the service to arrive at their feet, as Zlatan appeared to at Camp Nou. They have to keep up with their team and the coach’s blueprint just as much as any other player on the pitch. In laymen’s terms, if you want to be wined and dined at a five-star, silver service restaurant, you’re expected to dress for the occasion.

Lewandowski’s greatest accomplishment this year so far hasn’t been his goal tally alone. It’s been the fact that he’s been as excellent to watch as he’s been prolific, regardless of the manager or his team-mates. Whether it’s a crucial contest or another Bayern stroll; whether he starts or sits on the bench.

Guardiola's reinvention of Messi as a false nine was one of football's most fateful masterstrokes. By all accounts, this tactical approach continues to cross his mind at the Allianz, if only from time to time, depending on the particular task ahead.

Lewandowski is quite simply forcing Guardiola, one of the greatest coaches of modern times, to renew his faith in the traditional striker. That fact alone is enough for Lewandowski, like Xavi, Iniesta, Ribery and Neuer before him, to warrant consideration for the Ballon d'Or award itself – if it weren’t for you-know-who.