As the best player of his generation, the sight of Lionel Messi lifting the coveted Ballon d’Or award is scarcely anything new.
Sure, football remains a collaborative team game at its core, but players like Messi often transcend the sides in which they play and are typically worthy of individual awards.
However, as the Argentine claimed his seventh such award in Paris on Monday, fans across the globe were left up in arms as Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski missed out once again.
But was the record-breaking Polish forward genuinely robbed, or did Messi deserve his record-extending seventh Ballon d’Or? Let’s break it down in more detail below!
The Stats – Did Messi Do Enough to Win?
Let’s start with the basics; as even a quick glance at the statistics seems to reaffirm Lewandowski’s case as the rightful winner of the 2021 Ballon d’Or.
More specifically, the striker plundered an impressive 61 goals from just 51 appearances during the calendar year, while Messi hit the back of the net 41 times in 56 games.
In addition to his superior goals-to-games ratio, Lewandowski also claimed four major team and individual trophies through 2021; namely the seemingly obligatory Bundesliga title, DFL Supercup, Club World Cup and the European Golden Shoe.
However, if we delve beyond the headline figures, Messi’s claim to the 2021 Ballon d’Or becomes a little less tenuous. Not only did the Argentine win a seventh Copa Del Rey with Barcelona last season, but he also earned his first ever major international tournament by lifting the Copa America with the national side.
What’s more, the diminutive number 10 was instrumental in La Albiceleste’s success, finishing as the joint-top scorer in the competition (with four goals), completing the most assists (five) and earning the honour of being crowned as the tournament’s last player.
In terms of goal involvements across the board in 2021, Messi’s 17 assists also bring his own total to 58, just 13 shy of Lewandowski’s 71.
The Argentine also boasted considerably more successful passes, dribbles and big chances created for club and country through 2021, and while this can be partially attributed to his deeper position, this should be taken into account when appraising his performance during the calendar year.
Exploring the Emotional Argument for Lewandowski
With the statistics introducing a little more balance and nuance to the discussion, it’s important to ask why there’s such a strong groundswell of support for Lewandowski?
Well, much stems from the Polish forward’s desperate bad luck in 2020, when the global football calendar was disrupted and the Ballon d’Or award was ultimately cancelled.
During this period, Lewandowski was the leading scorer in both the Bundesliga and the Champions League, while his side swept to an historic treble and managed to win Europe’s premier club competition by winning every single game.
Having been cruelly denied what would have almost certainly been his first Ballon d’Or award last year, many fans naturally feel as though he has been similarly wronged this time around, despite Messi’s sustained consistency and inaugural international success.
Messi has also become a target of criticism since his emotive and highly publicised move to PSG, largely due to his initial lack of goals in the French capital (he has just one in seven Ligue 1 appearances) and his seeming unwillingness to track back or engage in any kind of energetic press.
However, he has scored three goals in four Champions League outings this term (including a superb strike against Manchester City), while a lack of defensive output should not completely detract from his impressive numbers both domestically and on the international stage this year.
Debatable, But Not Daylight Robbery – The Last Word
Ultimately, fans love the narrative of a perceived underdog who has been wronged, so it was natural that Lewandowski should receive considerable support after what happened in 2020 and the continued dominance of Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo on the world stage.
What’s more, the striker continued to deliver stellar numbers throughout 2021, causing many to believe that he was certain to claim a well-deserved Ballon d’Or in Paris.
However, Messi’s cumulative attacking stats and outstanding creative output (in addition to his goal getting) make for a potent and persuasive argument, while it’s easy to see how his success at international level and influential role in the Argentina side could have tipped the balance in his favour.
Of course, many will continue to argue that Lewandowski deserved the award, and there’s no doubt that his performance and sustained consistency throughout 2021 supports this claim.
To this end, the Pole has scored a staggering 128 goals in 107 appearances since August 2019, while he shows no sign of slowing down any time soon.
While Messi’s win may be debatable, however, it’s in no way a robbery, and we shouldn’t underestimate either the mercurial forward’s continued brilliance or his outstanding performance through 2021.
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