Lionel Messi scooped up his seventh Ballon d’Or on Monday evening.
Bayern Munich superstar Robert Lewandowski kept it classy after Lionel Messi pipped him to the coveted Ballon d’Or on Monday evening. Many felt as though the striker could, or perhaps should have won himself, particularly after missing out in 2020 when the Covid pandemic led to the award being scrapped.
As it happened, Messi extended his untouchable record in Ballon d’Or terms by notching his seventh award in Paris.
That takes him two clear of Cristiano Ronaldo, his nearest challenger over the course of his career, who had to settle for sixth after snubbing the ceremony altogether.
But Lewandowski is yet to receive his first title, despite scoring at a remarkable rate in Germany over the past few seasons.
Incredibly, the 33-year-old has lashed in 89 goals across his last 73 Bundesliga matches, breaking Gerd Muller’s record for goals in a single season last time out.
Unfortunately for Bayern fans, it was not enough to see him receive the award, but it did not stop him delivering a classy social media speech despite the heartbreak of missing out two years in a row.
“To start, I would like to congratulate Lionel Messi, Ballon d’Or Winner,” he said.
“I want to thank every single journalist who voted for me, and believed that my achievements were important in 2021.
“I won Striker Of The Year Award and no player can win an individual award without the strongest team and loyal fans behind him. And for me it’s no different.
“I want to thank my club Bayern Munich for the platform they’ve given me to succeed and to achieve my dreams.
“I want to thank my teammates from the Polish National Team and from Bayern Munich. I also want to thank my fans for supporting me every single day it means a lot to me.
“And the most important thing, huge thanks to my family. Thank you Mom, thank you Anna – you are the love of my life and my best friend, thanks to my sister Milena and to my friends and management team for the continuous support, the foundation of my achievements. Thank you.”
Elsewhere in the official results, Chelsea‘s Jorginho had to settle for the last spot on the podium despite winning the Champions League and Euro 2020 within the space of a few months.
Source: The Express.co.uk