Robert Lewandowski won the FIFA best player award and he became only the 2nd player in 13 years to dethrone either Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi.
Robert Lewandowski scored a total of 55 goals in the 2020 season that saw Bayern Munich sweep domestic and international titles in football. The Bundesliga and UEFA Champions League crown were won in dominant fashion by Bayern Munich and it was all because of the efforts of Robert Lewandowski. The Poland captain thus defeated the likes of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo to win the coveted FIFA best men’s player award for 2020. Thus, Robert Lewandowski became only the second player in 13 years after Croatia’s Luka Modric in 2018 to deny Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi this trophy. In a virtual awards ceremony that was held in Zurich due to the coronavirus pandemic, the winners were all announced but FIFA president Gianni Infantino went to Munich personally and handed the award to Robert Lewandowski.
Recently, Robert Lewandowski has become the third player to go past the 250-goals mark in the German competition, Bundesliga. The 32-year-old is now only the third player in Bundesliga history to reach the landmark after Gerd Muller (365) and Klaus Fischer (268). However, the striker is the first non-German to score 250 goals in Bundesliga. From starting out in modest beginnings to being one of the best in the business, here is the journey of Robert Lewandowski and the path to his greatness.
1. Robert Lewandowski's modest beginnings
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When Robert Lewandowski turned 9, he began his youth football career. He enrolled in Varsovia Warsaw youth system, training in adverse weather conditions on a dusty and sandy pitch which was also foggy. After spending 7 years at Varsovia Warsaw, he went on to Delta Warsaw. While he was at Delta, his father who nursed the hope of seeing his son play in the Bundesliga one day, died. He then moved in with his sister, due to financial challenges. Lewandowski continued in top form and soon Legia Warsaw scouts came calling. He began playing for the club in the 2005/06 season and was in top form until he sustained an injury which led to Legia Warsaw backtracking on his contract extension. With support from his mother, he recovered from his injury and soon, began playing for Znicz Pruszków after several disappointments. (Image credit: IANS)
2. Robert Lewandowski's grand German entry
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After speculations that Lewandowski will move to a top club, it was announced in June that he signed with Dortmund for Euro 4.5 million. In September 2010, he scored his first goal for Dortmund. He continued in amazing form through the season, which earned him the Polish Best Player of the Year award. He then went on to win the Bundesliga with the club and emerged as the third-highest goal scorer in the league. He also scored twice in the DFB-Pokal Final against Bayern Munich, to finish as the tournament top scorer. In his second season with Dortmund, he led his side to an amazing champions league run. He became the first player to score four goals in a UEFA Champions League semifinal. In the final of the tournament, his side was defeated by Bundesliga rivals, Bayern Munich. He began his third and final season with Dortmund by winning the German Super Cup. He went on to have an amazing season, leading the league in goals. He played in his last game for Dortmund in the 2014 German Cup Final.
In January 2014, Lewandowski signed a five-year contract with Bayern Munich. He debuted competitively for Bayern Munich in the German Super Cup. He had a wonderful debut season with Munich, advancing to the Champions League semifinal and also claiming the Bundesliga. He started his second season with Bayern by losing the German Super Cup. He continued in top form through the season and set an amazing Bundesliga record.
In a September 2015 Bundesliga game against Wolfsburg, Lewandowski came in as a substitute and in 8 minutes 59 seconds, he scored 5 goals, which was the fastest time for a player to score 5 goals in any major football league in Europe. The feat was an amazing one which earned him four Guinness World Records certificate. He soon finished fourth in the Ballon d’Or awards and also topped the score charts in the Bundesliga. The legend of Robert Lewandowski had arrived. (Image credit: Twitter)
3. Robert Lewandowski's record-breaking streak
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In his third season, the 2016/17 season with Bayern Munich, he won the Bayern Super Cup, the Bundesliga and also signed a contract extension with the club which will see him stay at the club until 2021. He also reached 100 goals during the season. In the 2017/18 season, he continued in fine form and also led the entire league in goals. He was also named Polish Player of the year for the seventh successive time.
In the 2018/19 season, Lewandowski was back in his fiery goal scoring form and became the third-fastest player to reach 50 UEFA Champions League goals. He also became Bayern Munich third-highest all-time goal scorer. The Polish star went on to score the most goal for a foreign player in the Bundesliga. He concluded the season as the league top scorer, marking the fourth successive season where he has scored more than 40 goals. He also won the Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal in the same season for the second time. In February of the 2019/20 season, the star once again in top form, came on level terms with Cristiano Ronaldo for away Champions League goals in a season after scoring 9 goals. (Image credit: Twitter)
4. Robert Lewandowski's path to greatness
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How much is Robert Lewandowski’s net worth? As at March 2020, Lewandowski has an estimated net worth of USD 45 million. In 2019 alone, he received an annual salary of Euro 15 million placing him atop the list of the highest-paid players in Bayern Munich. He has endorsement deals with Nike, EA Sports, Huawei, Gillette, Opel and CoverGirl.
Robert Lewandowski is married to his wife Anna Lewandowska since 2013. They both have a daughter named Klara Lewandowska, born in May 2017. His wife Anna is also a fellow Polish athlete and she won bronze at the 2009 Karate World Cup. (Image credit: Twitter)
5. Robert Lewandowski's love
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His wife, Anna Lewandowska, won the bronze medal at the 2009 Karate World Cup. They married on 22 June 2013 in the Church of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Serock. They have two daughters: Klara (born 4 May 2017)[185] and Laura (born 6 May 2020). Lewandowski is a practising Catholic. He met Pope Francis in October 2014, when Bayern Munich visited Vatican City following a 7–1 win over A.S. Roma in the UEFA Champions League. In October 2017, the day after scoring to help Poland qualify for the 2018 World Cup, Lewandowski finished Bachelor of Physical Education (BPhEd) with coaching and management at the Academy of Sport Education in Warsaw, concluding a decade of studies. In addition to his native Polish, Lewandowski also speaks English and German. (Image credit: Twitter)
