This is a guest article from Zach Lowy, editor -in -chief of breaking the lines.
It is almost five years ago that the COVID-19 Pandemie brought daily life all over the world, which caused millions of deaths and forced the whole worldwide population the way they live. The Pandemie also produced a seismic impact in the football world; After they had been on hold for a few months, football clubs returned to play their matches for empty stadiums, while some competitions such as the Eredivisie and Ligue 1 left their campaigns halfway. UEFA Knock-Out matches such as the Champions League and Europa League would temporarily switch from home-and-road legs to one leg played at a neutral location in a short tournament.
As a result, the Ballon d'Or ceremony was canceled in 2020. considered the most prestigious individual trophy in the game, the Ballon d'Or prize has been awarded to the best player in world football since the introduction in 1956. , Despite a world-class campaign, Robert Lewandowski was denied the opportunity to become the very first balloon d'Or winner of Poland. The Polish striker scored 47 goals and gave 15 assists in 44 games in 2020 while he also won five trophies with Bayern Munich, but he was prevented from claiming his just rewards, much to the annoyance of fans, players and coaches around the world. In 2021, when Lionel Messi claimed his seventh balloon d'Or prize, he admitted: 'Robert, you earn your balloon d'Or. Last year everyone agreed that you were the big winner of this prize. Hopefully France will give you the 2020 Ballon d'Or. We all believe that you have earned it and I hope you can have it at home. '
Nowadays Lewandowski leads the border for Barcelona and shows why he is one of the largest center-forces to have stepped on a football field. Lewandowski's first season under Hansi Flick would only see him the second player in football history after Johan Cruyff to win a European Treble while he ended up as a top scorer in all three competitions. His second season under Flick would break him the 49-year record of Gerd Muller and end with the most goals in a single Bundesliga season. Lewandowski spent the following season under the watchful eye of Julian Nagelsmann before left Barcelona in the summer of 2022 and arriving in Barcelona.
Lewandowski, including € 50 million, including add-ons, became the most expensive Polish player of all time, as well as Bayern's most expensive sales of all time. It was not long before he justified that price tag, ending as a top scorer in Laliga and led them to their first league title in four years. After two seasons under Xavi Hernandez reunited Lewandowski reunited with Flick in the summer of 2024, starting because he was planning to continue by taking four goals and an assist in his first four games. He started to win back his confidence and to find the back of the net for fun, including a brace versus Real Madrid and a goal against his former club Bayern Munich.
Although his pace has decreased somewhat, Lewandowski's poaching instinct, formidable head capacity and balance continue to make him a well -rounded forward. He can not only contribute as a scorer, but if someone who can keep the ball with his back to goal joins other players and create space for his teammates. Able to end with both feet and generate a powerful shot with his first touch, the attacking profile of Lewandowski can be seen throughout his entire career. Even if he no longer came in the goals for Poland Bonst (his last non-Penalty goal came for them in November 2023), he still shoots all the cylinders for his club.
“There were times with the national team where he was incredible, but now he thinks it is hard to wear the team, although he still scores goals and Leafa's top scorers hit list,” said the USMNT-Internationale Janusz Michhallik, born in Polish. “However, there is still that informal fan who believes that Lewandowski is going to wear the national team of Poland, which has clearly not been the case in a long time.”
“Lewandowski needs the other players to be employed and to create opportunities for him, which is not happening at the moment,” added Michallik, who works as a football portit for ESPN and the TVP sport from Poland.
While Lewandowski often has to do alone for Poland, he is provided with top quality services from Pedri, Raphinha and Lamine Yamal in Barcelona, among others. He does not have to concentrate so much on generating opportunities for himself and can instead concentrate his energy on the end of crosses and through balls. It has worked a treat this season, in which Lewandowski La Liga led for expected goals (20.45), target contributions (22) and score frequency (one goal every 92 minutes). He also missed 17 great opportunities, which, despite provoking the anger of many Blaugranas supporters, simply demonstrate that his form is indeed sustainable.
As he approaches 37 years old, the time has probably risen on Lewandowski's search to win the most coveted individual trophy in football. However, he has the chance to make a history in himself and to leave a sign that will never be wiped. Lewandowski missed the Golden Boot from Golden Boot from last season at Artem Dovbyk. The Polish striker has achieved 20 goals so far, three above the second Kylian Mbappe placed. If he can end up on top of the score cards, he will surpass Messi as the player with the most top Scorer Awards in Europe's top five competitions (nine). Lewandowski has scored in each of his last three La Liga matches and is in a quiet but determined pursuit of this performance and adding another remarkable achievement to an already legendary career.
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