Barcelona’s Goal Machine Slowly and Steadily Approaches the Grand Prize
Finally the Spell is Broken: The Golden Ball is Within Lewandowski’s Reach
When the Golden Ball is mentioned, few think of Robert Lewandowski, but the Polish star is slowly but surely approaching the grand prize.
These days, whenever there is news about the Golden Ball, the names of Raphinha and Mohamed Salah are always mentioned. However, after Liverpool’s elimination from the Champions League, Salah’s chances are considered lower, and many see Raphinha as the main contender.
But quietly, a veteran star is preparing to win the Golden Ball. A star who twice came within a step of the Golden Ball but failed: Robert Lewandowski. In 2021, Lewa was just three votes short of winning the Golden Ball. Those three votes allowed Lionel Messi to win the award for the seventh time.
This was in a year when Lewa had broken the Bundesliga scoring record with 41 goals, winning the Golden Boot. He had also won the Bundesliga and the Club World Cup with his team. But all this was not enough for France Football to award the Golden Ball to Messi, who had won the Copa América that year.
This was the second consecutive year that Lewa saw his hopes dashed at the last moment. In 2020, when everyone was sure the Golden Ball would go to Lewa, the COVID-19 pandemic peaked, and France Football decided not to award the prize to anyone. They announced that the conditions of the football world were not suitable for selecting the best player of the year.
The blow to Lewandowski could have driven any footballer to madness. He had just had his best football season, scoring 55 goals, winning the Champions League and the Golden Boot, and celebrating Bayern Munich’s second historic treble.
Lewandowski is now quietly moving toward the Golden Ball again. With 25 goals, he leads La Liga’s scoring chart and has surpassed Raphinha and Kylian Mbappé. Barcelona is currently the main contender for the Champions League title, and Lewa, with 11 goals, is the tournament’s top scorer. If Barcelona celebrates victories in the Champions League and La Liga, Lewandowski, with these titles and the Golden Boots of La Liga and the Champions League, will be the main contender for the Golden Ball.
The Polish star is owed a Golden Ball by football, and this year is the best opportunity for football to repay its debt to this goal-scoring machine.
