Robert Lewandowski reacts after losing Ballon d’Or to Messi

Bayern Munich and Poland striker, Robert Lewandowski has responded to his 2021 Ballon D'or loss to Lionel Messi. 

 On Monday night, November 29, Lewandowski was pipped to the Ballon d’Or by Lionel Messi while Chelsea’s Jorghino came third, and Cristiano Ronaldo came a distant sixth. 

 Lewandowski lost the Ballon d’or to the Argentine Messi, who guided Argentina to their first international trophy in 28 years by winning the Copa America.

 PSG forward Lionel Messi admitted that Robert Lewandowski “deserved to win the Ballon d’Or 2020” in his acceptance speech for the 2021 prize. 

However, Lewandowski was gracious in defeat and the 33-year-old paid tribute to Messi with a post uploaded to social media. Lewandowski tweeted: 

Congratulations Leo Messi and @alexiaputellas winners of the #BallonDor2021, congratulations also to all nominated players! I won Striker of the Year Award and no Player can win an individual award without strongest team and loyal fans behind him. Thank you for your support.

In another post on Instagram, late Monday night, Lewandowski wrote;

“To start, I would like to congratulate Lionel Messi, Ballon d’Or Winner,” “I want to thank every single journalist who voted for me, and believed that my achievements were important in 2021.

 “I won Striker Of The Year Award and no player can win an individual award without the strongest team and loyal fans behind him. And for me it’s no different. 

 “I want to thank my club Bayern Munich for the platform they’ve given me to succeed and to achieve my dreams. “I want to thank my teammates from the Polish National Team and from Bayern Munich. I also want to thank my fans for supporting me every single day it means a lot to me. “And the most important thing, huge thanks to my family. 

Thank you Mom, thank you Anna – you are the love of my life and my best friend, thanks to my sister Milena and to my friends and management team for the continuous support, the foundation of my achievements. 

Leo Messi had collected the Ballon d’Or honor for a record sixth time in 2019 — one ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo — before the awards were cancelled in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

 Ronaldo did not attend Monday’s event at the Theatre du Chatelet in the French capital but responded to Ferre, the editor of France Football – organisers of the Ballon d’Or, on social media, saying he lied when he said Ronaldo's ambition was to have more ballon D'or titles than Lionel Messi.