Poland and Bayern Munich’s striker, Robert Lewandoski has won The Best FIFA 2021 men’s player award. This is Lewandowski’s second successive award having also claimed the crown in 2020.
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He won the award ahead of Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah and Paris St-Germain’s Lionel Messi.
🚨🏆 #TheBest FIFA Men’s Player Award 2021 goes to #RobertLewandowski!
🌎🇵🇱 Fans, players, coaches and journalists have spoken, naming @lewy_official as #TheBest! pic.twitter.com/21hfIDR3rI
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) January 17, 2022
The prolific striker who broke the late Gerd Muller’s 49-year record for scoring the most Bundesliga goals in a calendar year with 43 in 34 league appearances, was overlooked for the Balon d’Or as Messi won it for a seventh time in November 2021.
Lewandowski was influential as Bayern defended their Bundesliga title and won the Club World Cup and the German Super Cup.
Speaking via video link after receiving the award, he said he never dreamed of breaking the record set by Muller, who died in 2021.
“If you you asked me a few years ago, I would have said it is impossible to break that record and score that many goals in the Bundesliga,” said Lewandowski.
“But now he (Muller) is not with us anymore and I also say thank you to him because this record would not be possible without him. He set so many – and for the next generation of players it was to try and beat it.”
Best FIFA awards in full
Best Fifa Men’s Player of the Year: Robert Lewandowski
Best Fifa Men’s Coach of the Year: Thomas Tuchel
Best Fifa Men’s Goalkeeper of the Year: Edouard Mendy
Best Fifa Special Award: Cristiano Ronaldo
Fifa Puskas Award: Erik Lamela
Fifa Fan Award: Denmark & Finland fans
Fifa Fair Play Award: Denmark national team/Danish medical team and coaching staff
Best Fifa Women’s Player of the Year: Alexia Putellas
Best Fifa Women’s Coach of the Year: Emma Hayes
Best Fifa Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year: Christiane Endler
Best Fifa Special Award: Christine Sinclair
Nnamdi Maduakor is a Writer, Investor and Entrepreneur
