Bayern Munich's Robert Lewandowski says the FIFA Best award is better than the Ballon d'Or

Published 04/02/2022 at 13:06 GMT

Bayern Munich's Robert Lewandowski reckons the FIFA Best award he has won for the past two years is better than the Ballon d'Or, which he controversially lost out on in 2021 to PSG's Lionel Messi. Football's elite stars regularly claim they are unbothered about individual awards, but Lewandowski's comments offer a window into the intense rivalry between the game's very best players.

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Robert Lewandowski believes the "matters more" than the Ballon d'Or - a gong that he controversially missed out on.

The Bayern Munich forward had been one of the favourites to win the prestigious Ballon d'Or prize, but it was won - - by Lionel Messi after his Copa America win with Argentina.

The dust has since settled on that decision but Lewandowski has clearly been in a period of introspection, from which he has emerged with his own theory.

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Talking to Polish outlet Pilka Nozna, the 33-year-old said: "I've been thinking about the two awards lately.

"I have come to the conclusion that the FIFA award does matter more than the Ballon d'Or.

“Only journalists vote in the latter - there is no clear verification, as many experts or former and current footballers have said.

"Professionals and journalists vote for it in FIFA; team captains, coaches, and they can realistically and objectively evaluate our achievements, because they know how much each match, each record, each injury costs us.

“Maybe in terms of prestige, the Ballon d'Or is positioned higher than the FIFA Footballer of the Year, but knowing that I have received the best footballer of the world award for the second time in a row in the voting from coaches and players makes me proud, because I know how hard I have worked for many years.”

Lewandowski didn't stop there with his forthright opinions, appearing to suggest that the next potential goalscoring great of the game - Borussia Dortmund's Erling Haaland - will have his work cut to match what he has achieved in the game.

“Haaland is a great player who is fun to watch," Lewandowski said.

But just because someone has great potential doesn't mean they will be a real star for many years to come.

“Everyone develops differently. He's strong, fast, physical. His game is based on that. I have different qualities. And we don't know how he will develop.”

And Lewandowski warned that he is far from finished yet himself.

“My performance tests are now giving better results than last year," the Bayern totem said.

"As for the numbers, it seems my best time is yet to come. I feel better now than I did two years ago.”

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